By Uzair Adam
The Senate has confirmed Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The confirmation followed a three-hour screening session at the Senate Chamber on Thursday, during which lawmakers grilled the nominee of President Bola Tinubu on several issues regarding electoral integrity and independence.
After the session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the confirmation to a voice vote, and the “ayes” carried the day without any objection. Akpabio, thereafter, urged Amupitan to ensure that votes count under his leadership.
During the screening, Amupitan dismissed claims that he served as Legal Counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal or at the Supreme Court.
He noted that the law reports of those proceedings were publicly available for anyone to verify.
The new INEC Chairman pledged to ensure credible elections where losers would freely congratulate winners, stressing that such outcomes would strengthen democracy and national development.
He also vowed to prioritise logistics, safeguard election materials through technological innovations, and intensify voter education.
Amupitan entered the chamber at 12:50 p.m. after a motion by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) was seconded by Minority Leader Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) to suspend Order 12 and admit him into the chamber.
Before the questioning session began, Akpabio informed his colleagues that Amupitan had been cleared by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Inspector-General of Police, confirming he had no criminal record.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier written to the Senate seeking Amupitan’s screening and confirmation as INEC Chairman in accordance with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
In his letter, Tinubu urged the Senate to expedite action on the confirmation process, attaching Amupitan’s curriculum vitae for consideration.
Akpabio subsequently referred the President’s request to the Committee of the Whole, which concluded the legislative process with the confirmation on Thursday.