President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the name of Professor Joash Amupitan to the Senate for confirmation as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The request was read on Tuesday during plenary by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, alongside other communications from the President seeking legislative approval for appointments.
In his letter, President Tinubu urged the lawmakers to grant the request their “usual expeditious consideration.”
According to the President, the nomination was made in accordance with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate the appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission,” the letter read.
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The President also attached the nominee’s curriculum vitae and conveyed his highest regards to the Senate President.
Following the reading of the letter, Akpabio referred the nomination to the Committee of the Whole for consideration “as soon as practicable.”
In a separate communication, President Tinubu sought the Senate’s approval for the appointment of Mrs. Ayo Omidiran as the new Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, alongside 28 other nominees for positions as Federal Commissioners. Among the nominees is Dr. Ibrahim Abdullahi from Kwara State.
It would be recalled that the National Council of State had earlier given its unanimous approval to Amupitan’s appointment during a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday. The appointment comes after the completion of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s 10-year tenure as INEC Chairman in October 2025.
Amupitan, a 58-year-old Professor of Law from Kogi State, is the first individual from the North-Central region to be nominated for the role.
“In compliance with the constitution, President Tinubu will now send Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening,” a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated.
