ABUJA, Nigeria — The Nigerian Senate has confirmed the appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following a two-hour screening session on Thursday.
During the exercise, Amupitan, who was nominated by President Bola Tinubu, pledged to uphold the independence and credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process while strengthening transparency through technology and institutional reform.
Reflecting on lessons from the 2023 general election, the law professor said his leadership would focus on rebuilding public confidence in INEC’s systems and clarifying the role of technology in elections.
“I believe what happened in 2023 was assumed as a glitch,” Amupitan said.
“Before we went into the election, my understanding — based on a review of Supreme Court decisions — was that there was no clarity as to the purpose of the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.”
He explained that many voters and stakeholders misunderstood the function of the IReV system, noting that “the IReV was not an electronic collation system” but rather a safeguard for verification and transparency.
“The IReV was supposed to provide some guarantee for checks and balances,” he said, adding that “the laws made by this distinguished Senate did not do away with manual collation.”
Amupitan promised to order a comprehensive audit of INEC’s technological infrastructure to ensure greater reliability and performance before the next round of elections.
He also vowed to work closely with security agencies and civil society to protect the sanctity of the electoral process.
Following his presentation, Senator Shehu Buba of Bauchi South moved a motion for Amupitan to “take a bow and go,” a traditional gesture of respect for eminent nominees.
The motion was seconded by Senator Olamilekan Solomon of Ogun West.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio subsequently put the motion to a voice vote, which passed unanimously.
“The nominee answered questions from distinguished senators and took away written submissions as a working document on topical electoral issues,” Akpabio said.
“Accordingly, the Senate hereby approves the nomination of Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”
Amupitan, 58, is a law professor and deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Jos.
He succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who completed his second term as INEC chairman on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, amid renewed national debate over electoral reform and public trust in Nigeria’s voting system.
