Professor Joash Amupitan, the recently appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, has arrived at the Presidential Villa in Abuja to be formally sworn in by President Bola Tinubu.
According to a report by Channels Television, Amupitan arrived the State House on Thursday morning and greeted dignitaries and spectators before the ceremony while wearing a white agbada and a gold headgear.
The ceremony, which is set for 1:00 p.m., will formally usher in his term as the country’s main election officer.
Following a thorough screening on October 16, the Senate confirmed the law professor’s appointment as INEC Chairman one week before to his visit to the Villa.
The 58-year-old scholar presented his plans to strengthen institutional independence, overhaul Nigeria’s election system, and restore public confidence in the commission during his presentation before lawmakers.
“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,” Amupitan told the Senate.
Additionally, he promised to concentrate on strengthening the Electoral Act’s provisions in order to eliminate ambiguities in election schedules and improve process transparency.
Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose term as INEC Chairman has ended, is replaced by Amupitan, who was nominated by Tinubu and confirmed by the National Council of State.
His appointment makes him the sixth substantive head of the electoral body since its establishment.
In response to enquiries concerning his purported connections to President Tinubu’s legal team in the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court, Amupitan categorically refuted the allegations.
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