The Senate on Thursday confirmed Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), making him the sixth substantive head of the body since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.
His confirmation, carried by a unanimous voice vote, drew commendations from lawmakers but sparked outrage among civil society groups, who accused the Senate of rubber-stamping the executive’s choice without due diligence.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio hailed Amupitan as “a fit and proper person” for the job, citing clean security and medical records. He succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose decade-long tenure ended earlier this month.
During the session, Amupitan pledged to make voter access his top priority, promising that “no Nigerian will be disenfranchised, even if drones must be used to reach remote areas.” He also vowed to boost civic education, enforce internal accountability through an INEC Ethics and Compliance Committee, and collaborate with the National Assembly on electoral reforms, including the creation of an Electoral Offences Commission.
However, tension briefly flared when Akpabio attempted to block questions about the Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal. Some senators, led by Solomon Adeola, insisted the nominee respond fully before confirmation.
Civil society groups were less impressed. The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) branded the process “a travesty”, accusing the Senate of bypassing its Electoral Matters Committee and acting as “an appendage of the executive”.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, alleged political bias, claiming the nomination was part of “a larger plan by the presidency to influence the 2027 elections,” while urging Nigerian youths to resist voter apathy and defend democratic integrity.
Akpabio used the occasion to lament the state of local government elections, calling them “a disgrace to democracy” and urging constitutional reforms to make them more credible.
Since 1999, INEC has been led by Justice Ephraim Akpata, Dr Abel Guobadia, Prof Maurice Iwu, Prof Attahiru Jega, and Prof Mahmood Yakubu. Amupitan now inherits a commission under intense scrutiny, with Nigerians watching to see if he can restore public trust as the countdown to 2027 begins.
