The Nigerian Senate on Thursday confirmed Professor Joash Amupitan as the new head of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
NRTC reported that President Bola Tinubu appointed Amupitan as the new INEC chairman after Professor Mahmood Yakubu stepped down.
He subsequently forwarded his name to the senate for confirmation in line with the constitution on Tuesday.
The confirmation vote in the Red Chamber was decided by a voice vote led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, following a thorough screening process where the nominee responded to questions from the legislators.
Amupitan, a Professor of Law from the University of Jos arrived earlier at the National Assembly complex.
READ ALSO
He was accompanied into the chamber by the Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, among other dignitaries, and was ushered in by the Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Abubakar Lado.
Before the screening commenced, Akpabio shared with his colleagues that Amupitan had been vetted and cleared by both the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Inspector-General of Police.
The police specifically confirmed that a fingerprint search showed the nominee has no criminal record.
The screening began at approximately 12:55 p.m., focusing on key areas: Amupitan’s vision for ensuring credible polls, his strategies for internal reforms within INEC, and his proposals for enhancing the role of technology in Nigeria’s electoral system.
With his confirmation, Amupitan is now set to take charge of the commission, with the immediate task of overseeing preparations for upcoming off-cycle governorship elections and laying the foundation for the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan, who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a former Dean of the Faculty of Law at UNIJOS, is well-respected for his expertise in both constitutional and international law.
