The Senate on Thursday confirmed the appointment of Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following his nomination by President Bola Tinubu.
Amupitan, who replaces Prof. Mahmood Yakubu after a decade in office, pledged to deliver elections so credible that “even the loser will congratulate the winner.”
Speaking during his screening before the Senate, the Kogi-born law professor said he would work closely with agencies such as the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to enhance the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system.
“Our ultimate goal is to make elections so credible that even the loser will congratulate the winner in good faith, just as a judge delivers judgment and both sides accept it as fair and just,” Amupitan told lawmakers.
He assured senators that one of his first tasks would be to audit INEC’s election result viewing portal (IReV) and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to prevent the glitches that undermined public confidence during the 2023 elections.
Amupitan clarified that contrary to reports, he never served on any legal team for the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), or the Labour Party (LP) during the last election petition hearings.
He also promised to establish an Ethics and Compliance Committee within INEC, strengthen internal monitoring, and introduce a whistleblower policy to curb misconduct among staff. “We intend to develop a system that can detect, investigate, and prosecute electoral offences,” he said.
On logistics and election security, the INEC chief said the commission would collaborate with security agencies to safeguard materials and personnel, adding that drones and other innovations could be deployed in high-risk areas to ensure no voter is disenfranchised.
He further emphasised the need for an Electoral Offences Commission, noting that accountability for electoral crimes was vital to restoring public confidence.
Meanwhile, the Senate stood down consideration of the 2025 Electoral Act Amendment Bill, after debates revealed the need for clarity on proposed reforms, particularly those affecting election timelines.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged lawmakers to ensure the amendments clearly address past electoral challenges, stressing that “if we want to fix our electoral system, we must hold the right people accountable.”
With his confirmation, Amupitan officially takes over from Yakubu, whose tenure ended on October 7, 2025.
