President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the Senate’s confirmation of Professor Joash Amupitan as the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The request was read during plenary on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, along with other presidential communications regarding appointments requiring legislative approval.
“In accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), President Tinubu seeks the confirmation of Prof. Joash Amupitan as the new INEC Chairman,” Akpabio announced.
The Senate has referred the request to the Committee of the Whole for detailed legislative scrutiny.
President Tinubu, in his letter and prior consultations, described Amupitan as an independent-minded academic whose track record in legal scholarship and public service qualifies him to lead Nigeria’s electoral body.
Council of State Endorses Nomination
The President’s move follows the unanimous approval by the Council of State last Thursday. The council, which includes former heads of state and key national leaders, backed Amupitan’s nomination after President Tinubu presented him as his preferred candidate to succeed outgoing INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State, Amupitan’s home state, praised the nominee as “a man of integrity whose appointment will inspire public confidence in the electoral process.”
