INEC Chair Nominee Amupitan Faces Senate Screening Today

INEC Chair Nominee Amupitan Faces Senate Screening Today
Tinubu urges quick confirmation to ensure electoral reform continuity.
Northern minorities warn against ethnicising the appointment.

The Senate will today, Thursday, screen Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan for confirmation as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the screening follows President Bola Tinubu’s nomination of Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, whose appointment was endorsed last week by the National Council of State. The confirmation hearing is set to take place at the Senate Chamber in Abuja, with live media coverage expected across major networks.

President Tinubu, in a letter to the Senate, urged lawmakers to give Amupitan’s nomination urgent attention in line with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution. “I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate the appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission,” the President wrote.

The appointment of Amupitan, a law professor and legal expert, comes at a crucial time for INEC, as debates continue over the Commission’s independence and credibility ahead of the 2027 general elections. His confirmation is expected to shape the future of Nigeria’s electoral reforms following the tenure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu.

Meanwhile, the Northern Nigeria Minorities Group (NNMG) has warned against attempts to ethnicise Amupitan’s appointment. The group, led by its Convener, Chief Jacob Edi, said some individuals have tried to portray the nomination as an act of ethnic favoritism, which it described as divisive and dangerous.

Edi noted that Amupitan, an indigene of Kogi State’s Okun ethnic group, represents one of the northern minority nationalities and should be celebrated for breaking a 65-year-old precedent. He commended President Tinubu for promoting inclusivity and urged Nigerians to focus on competence rather than ethnicity.

Edi added that Nigeria’s unity depends on supporting qualified individuals, stressing that Amupitan’s appointment reflects fairness and national balance.