In an official letter to the Senate, President Bola Tinubu requested that Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) be screened and confirmed as the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The request was made in a letter that Senate President Godswill Akpabio read during plenary on Tuesday, following the endorsement of Amupitan’s nomination by the Council of State last Thursday.
The President urged the lawmakers to give the appointment their “usual expeditious consideration.”
Tinubu claimed that the nomination was done in accordance with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate the appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission,” the letter read.
The President finished by sending his best respects to the Senate President and enclosed the nominee’s curriculum vitae for examination.
In response, Senator Akpabio referred the nomination to the Committee of the Whole for consideration “as soon as practicable.”
Amupitan’s appointment coincides with increased debates over institutional independence and electoral credibility.
His appointment, which came after Professor Mahmood Yakubu left INEC after ten years in charge, has already caused deep rifts amongst civil society organisations and opposition parties.
Amid widespread public doubt about the impartiality of the electoral umpire, critics contend that the new chairman must demonstrate his independence.
However, Tinubu told the Council of State that his decision was influenced by “record of service and character,” characterising Amupitan as “an apolitical figure of impeccable integrity.”
The confirmation process, which is anticipated to begin in the next few days, will test the administration’s commitment to holding credible elections before 2027 and set the tone for the next stage of electoral reforms.
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