The Senate has officially confirmed Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).
Recall that President Tinubu had written to the senate, urging them to confirm the professor as the new INEC chairman.
Amupitan was approved by the Red Chamber following a voice vote by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, screening, and responses to queries from the legislators.
Amupitan had already arrived at the National Assembly complex and greeted the senators.
He was accompanied to the chamber by the Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, and other dignitaries.
According to reports, Senator Abubakar Lado, the Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters (Senate), escorted the nominee into the Senate chamber at around 12:50 p.m., and he was seated before the procedure started.
After Senate Minority Leader Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) seconded Senator Opeyemi Bamidele’s (APC, Ekiti Central) motion to set aside Order 12 to admit guests into the chamber, Amupitan was granted entry into the sacred chamber.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio welcomed Amupitan, his family members, and well-wishers to the Red Chamber, commending them for their presence.
Prior to introducing himself to the senators so that the Q&A session could begin, Akpabio informed his colleagues that the nomination had been vetted and approved by the National Security Advisor’s office.
Akpabio revealed that Amupitan had also been vetted by the Department of State Services office.
The Senate President added that after doing a fingerprint search, the Office of the Inspector-General of Police cleared him and declared that he had no criminal history.
After Akpabio’s introductory remarks, in which he described the steps the parliamentarians would take to evaluate the nominee’s qualifications, the screening process began at around 12:55 p.m.
The screening session was centred on Amupitan’s vision for credible elections, his plans for institutional reforms within INEC, and measures to deepen the use of technology in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Following his confirmation, the new INEC chairman is expected to supervise the planning for the next off-cycle governorship elections and set the stage for the general elections in 2027.
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