President Bola Tinubu will on Thursday (today) preside over the National Council of States (NCS) meeting at the State House, Abuja.
The meeting, which will take place at the Council Chambers by 1pm, with Vice President Kashim Shettima as Vice Chairman, will be the second of such meeting to be chaired by President Tinubu since he assuming office in May, 2023, after the maiden edition held on August 12, 2024.
Other members of the NCS which is a constitutional body that advises the President on policy matters are all former Presidents of the Federation and former Heads of Government, all former Chief Justices of Nigeria, President of the Senate,Speaker of the House of Representatives, all
36 State Governors and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Sources told THISDAY on Wednesday evening that the President will inform the meeting about the vacant position of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and possibly intimate the Council members about the person being proposed to take over.
It was gathered that the President may nominate a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, Prof Joash Ojo Amupitan as the new INEC Chairman.
Although two other individuals namely Justice Abdullahi Mohammed Liman, a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal, and Professor Lai Olurode, a sociologist and former INEC National Commissioner, were also said to have been condidered by the Presidency for the top INEC job, President Tinubu was said to have preferred Prof Amupitan based on his intimidating resume as a reputable lawyer of over 34 years of academic and legal experience.
The President will thereafter forward the name of Prof Amupitan to Senate for necessary screening and confirmation as INEC Chairman in line with provisions of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended).
If eventually confirmed by the Senate, Prof Amupitan will succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure lapsed on Tuesday, as 15th INEC Chairman.
Deji Elumoye
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