The Nigerian Senate has confirmed Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), succeeding Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served for a decade and stepped down on October 7, 2025. The confirmation came after a rigorous three-hour screening session on Thursday, marked by Amupitan’s bold pledges to overhaul the electoral system through advanced technologies, audits, and accountability measures to restore public trust.
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Amupitan, a Professor of Law and former Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Jos, was nominated by President Bola Tinubu in a letter read during Senate plenary on October 14, 2025, pursuant to Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Prior to the screening, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) moved a motion to suspend Order 12, allowing the nominee into the chamber—a motion seconded by Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South). Senate President Godswill Akpabio informed lawmakers that Amupitan had undergone thorough background checks and was cleared by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Inspector-General of Police.
The session, presided over by Akpabio, unfolded in the Committee of the Whole, where senators grilled Amupitan on key electoral issues. He firmly denied any involvement in President Tinubu’s legal team during the 2023 presidential election petitions, stating, “I did not lead or participate in the President’s legal team at any level—not at the Tribunal, Court of Appeal, or Supreme Court.” He also clarified that he had not served as counsel for the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), or the Labour Party (LP) in those proceedings.
Central to Amupitan’s vision is ensuring elections so credible that “even the loser will congratulate the winner in good faith—just as both sides accept a judge’s verdict as fair and just.” He emphasized aggressive voter education, harmonization of electoral timelines to eliminate ambiguities in the Electoral Act, and strict adherence to public procurement and financial management laws, including the Public Procurement Act and the Finance Act, to promote fiscal prudence.
A key highlight was his commitment to deploying drones and other modern technologies to safeguard sensitive election materials, monitor movements, and address logistical challenges exacerbated by Nigeria’s vast and diverse terrain. “We will deploy innovations—including drones and other secure means—to guarantee that election materials reach their destinations. No voter will be left behind,” Amupitan assured, underscoring collaboration with the Joint Committee on Election Security to protect personnel, voters, and assets, particularly in high-risk areas.
Amupitan also vowed a comprehensive audit of INEC’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), introduced to enhance transparency in line with global best practices. Recalling the glitches that plagued the 2023 elections—where real-time result uploads failed despite assurances—he described the issues as “subsumed as a glitch” due to unclear pre-election guidance. Drawing from Supreme Court rulings, he noted that IReV serves as a verification tool for manual collation, not an electronic collation system, providing “checks and balances.”
“If I’m given the opportunity, I have to audit the system to see what is actually wrong and whether we have what it takes as it is now,” he said. The audit would extend to INEC’s broader operations, constitutional framework, and partnerships with agencies like the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). He highlighted how delayed fund releases—despite legislation mandating disbursement a year in advance—have strained the commission, calling for timely support to bolster technological infrastructure.
To combat malpractices, Amupitan announced plans for an Ethics and Compliance Committee to investigate and sanction erring officials, a whistleblower policy to encourage fearless reporting, and the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission for prosecuting crimes. “We plan to develop a system that can detect, investigate, and prosecute misconduct, supported by forensic methods when necessary,” he stated, citing past unaddressed cases in states like Bayelsa and Adamawa.
On logistics, he lamented outdated vehicles for transporting materials and power outages, sharing a personal anecdote: “My wife was a collation officer; we had to provide a generator because there was no light.” He pledged investments in logistics to ensure efficiency, vowing to “confront those problems headlong” through strategic reviews.
The confirmation, passed via unanimous voice vote with no objections, was hailed as a historic first for Kogi State by Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West). “He won’t disappoint Nigerians. This is the first time Kogi is producing an INEC Chairman, and we believe he will serve with integrity,” Karimi said on behalf of his colleagues.
Senate President Akpabio congratulated Amupitan, charging him to “restore public trust” and deliver “transparent, credible, and reflective” elections. “We expect elections under your leadership to be transparent, credible, and reflective of the people’s will,” Akpabio emphasized, adding that every vote must count. The session concluded with Senator Buba Shehu (Bauchi South) moving that Amupitan “take a bow and go,” a motion unanimously adopted.
Amupitan’s tenure begins amid ongoing calls for electoral reforms, with his promises signaling a tech-savvy, accountable era for INEC. As he assumes office, stakeholders await swift implementation to rebuild confidence in Nigeria’s democracy.
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