President Bola Tinubu has sworn in Professor Joash Amupitan as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Amupitan’s swearing in by the President comes a week after the Senate confirmed his appointment as INEC Chairman following a rigorous screening session on October 16.
President Tinubu charged Amupitan to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s elections and electoral process as well as strengthen the institutional capacity of INEC.
Amupitan arrived at the State House on Thursday morning, dressed in a white ‘agbada’ paired with a gold cap, exchanging greetings with onlookers ahead of the ceremony to formalise his assumption of office as the head of the nation’s electoral umpire.
The professor of Law was accompanied by some presidential aides.
During his screening at the Senate last week, the 58-year-old don was questioned by senators on his plans to restore credibility to Nigeria’s electoral process and drive meaningful reforms within the commission.
Amupitan, who was nominated by President Tinubu and endorsed by the National Council of State, succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure as INEC Chairman officially ended recently.
He thus becomes the sixth substantive head of the electoral body since its establishment.
While addressing the Senate during his screening, Amupitan had promised to prioritise electoral reforms that would ensure transparent polls and boost public confidence in election outcomes.
The professor stated that his focus would be on strengthening the provisions of the Electoral Act to address inconsistencies in election timelines and promote credibility in the process.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also dismissed reports linking him to President Tinubu’s legal team during the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court, clarifying that he neither represented the President nor appeared for any of the opposition candidates.
Amupitan is expected to take over immediately after his swearing-in and begin the transition process at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
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