The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Prof. Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following a screening process to assess his qualifications and suitability for the role.
Joash’s appointment was confirmed two days after President Bola Tinubu submitted his name to the Senate for consideration and approval.
Prior to the commencement of the screening, the Senate temporarily suspended its standing rules to admit the nominee and members of his entourage into the chamber.
In attendance were Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Basheer Lado, Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Tanko Ishaya; the nominee’s wife, and their three children.
Amupitan, during the two-hour screening by the upper legislative chamber on Thursday, pledged to safeguard the independence and integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.
Reflecting on the lessons from the 2023 general election, the law professor emphasized the crucial role of technology in promoting transparency.
However, he pointed out that misunderstandings about the function of the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal led to significant confusion.
“I believe what happened in 2023 was assumed as a glitch,” he said.
“Before we went into the election, my own understanding, based on the review of the decisions of the Supreme Court, we found that there was no clarity as to the purpose of IReV.
“Not until the Supreme Court came out to say that IReV was not an electronic collation system, and that position was not properly brought out before the election.
“The IReV was supposed to be a safeguard for comparison, because the laws made by this distinguished Senate did not do away with manual collation.
“However, IReV was supposed to provide some guarantee for checks and balances.”
Amupitan added that he would order a comprehensive audit of INEC’s technological infrastructure to ensure its reliability ahead of future elections, while also pledging to collaborate with other agencies to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.
Following his presentation, the lawmaker representing Bauchi South, Shehu Buba, moved a motion for the nominee to ‘take a bow and go’, a gesture traditionally reserved for distinguished nominees, which was seconded by Olamilekan Solomon of Ogun West.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio then put the confirmation to a voice vote, and the lawmakers unanimously endorsed Amupitan’s appointment.
“The nominee answered questions from distinguished senators and took away written submissions as a working document on topical electoral issues,” Akpabio said while announcing the confirmation.
“Accordingly, the Senate hereby approves the nomination of Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”
