President Bola Tinubu has formally requested the Senate to screen and confirm Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The request was contained in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s plenary session. Tinubu’s nomination of Amupitan follows the endorsement of his appointment by the Council of State last Thursday.
According to the President, the nomination complies with the provisions of Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). He urged lawmakers to give the request their “usual expeditious consideration.”
“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 stated.
The President also enclosed Amupitan’s curriculum vitae for review and extended his highest regards to the Senate President.
Senator Akpabio subsequently referred the nomination to the Committee of the Whole for further consideration “as soon as practicable.”
In a separate communication, President Tinubu also sought Senate approval for the appointment of Mrs. Ayo Omidiran as the new Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, alongside 28 other nominees for the positions of Federal Commissioners. Among them is Dr. Ibrahim Abdullahi from Kwara State.
Amupitan’s nomination comes amid ongoing public debate about electoral transparency and institutional independence. His appointment follows the completion of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s decade-long tenure at INEC.
While some political observers have expressed concerns about maintaining the commission’s neutrality, others believe Amupitan’s legal background and professional reputation could strengthen the body’s integrity.
President Tinubu, during his presentation to the Council of State, described Amupitan as “an apolitical figure of impeccable integrity,” emphasizing that the choice was guided by “record of service and character.”
The Senate confirmation process, expected to commence in the coming days, will be closely watched as a test of the administration’s commitment to electoral reform and credible elections ahead of 2027.