Tinubu Swears In Prof. Joash Amupitan As INEC Chairma

President Bola Tinubu has officially sworn in Professor Joash Amupitan as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The swearing-in ceremony follows the Senate’s confirmation of Amupitan’s appointment on October 16 after a rigorous screening session.

President Tinubu tasked Prof. Amupitan with protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s elections and strengthening the institutional capacity of INEC.

“As the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, your nomination and subsequent confirmation by the Senate is a testament to your capacity and the confidence reposed in you by both the executive and legislative arms of government. I trust that you will approach your responsibilities with the highest level of integrity, dedication and patriotism.

“Our democracy has come a long way in 25 years, consolidating and strengthening our institutions, particularly our electoral system, through innovation and reforms. The electoral process is vital to democracy, safeguarding the people’s exclusive right to choose their leaders. To maintain public trust, electoral integrity must be beyond reproach. I therefore charge you, Professor, to protect the integrity of our elections and strengthen the institutional capacity of INEC,” Tinubu said.

Amupitan arrived at the State House on Thursday morning in a white agbada paired with a gold cap, exchanging greetings with onlookers ahead of the ceremony. He was accompanied by some presidential aides.

During his Senate screening last week, the 58-year-old law professor outlined plans to restore credibility to Nigeria’s electoral process and implement meaningful reforms. Nominated by President Tinubu and endorsed by the National Council of State, Amupitan succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu and becomes the sixth substantive head of INEC.

Addressing senators, Amupitan promised to prioritise electoral reforms to ensure transparent polls and boost public confidence. He emphasised the need to strengthen provisions of the Electoral Act to resolve inconsistencies in election timelines and promote credibility.

“We must conduct elections where even the loser will congratulate the winner and say, ‘You won fairly and well.’ When that happens, voters’ confidence will naturally be restored,” he said.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also clarified that he had no involvement with President Tinubu’s legal team during the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court, affirming his neutrality.

Amupitan is expected to assume office immediately and begin the transition process at INEC headquarters in Abuja.