President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the name of Professor Joash Amupitan to the Senate for confirmation as the substantive Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The request was contained in a letter read during Tuesday’s plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
According to the letter, the nomination is in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the President to appoint the INEC Chairman subject to Senate confirmation.
Akpabio also read other correspondences from the President seeking legislative approval for several appointments.
“The request is hereby referred to the Committee of the Whole for further legislative consideration,” Akpabio announced.
Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), a distinguished legal scholar and former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Jos, is expected to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose decade-long tenure has faced criticism over the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
Tinubu’s decision to appoint a new electoral umpire comes amid renewed public debate over electoral reforms and the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
If confirmed, Amupitan will oversee the implementation of key electoral reforms and efforts to rebuild public trust in INEC following widespread dissatisfaction with recent polls.
Earlier, the National Council of State had unanimously endorsed Amupitan’s nomination.
The meeting, chaired by President Tinubu, was convened to formalise the appointment.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Council approved the nomination after the President presented it to fill the vacancy created by Yakubu’s exit.
Tinubu described Amupitan as “apolitical” and noted that he would be the first nominee from Kogi State to head the electoral body.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State also lauded the nominee, describing him as “a man of integrity.”
Magazine Afrique had earlier reported that Amupitan, a longtime legal counsel and associate of Senator Dino Melaye, was the leading candidate to replace Yakubu.
With the Council’s approval now secured, the Senate will proceed with the screening and confirmation process in line with constitutional requirements.
