New INEC Chairman: Tinubu Sends Fresh Message to Senate
- President Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
- Amupitan, a 58-year-old Professor of Law from Kogi state, is the first nominee from the North-Central region and will replace Professor Mahmood Yakubu
- The President also sought Senate approval for Mrs Ayo Omidiran as head of the Federal Character Commission and 28 others as Federal Commissioners
President Bola Tinubu has written to the Senate seeking the confirmation of Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Presidential request reaches Senate floor
Source: Twitter
The senate president, Godswill Akpabio, read the letter on Tuesday, October 14, during plenary, noting that the communication came alongside other presidential requests for appointment approvals, Vanguard reported.
“I am pleased to submit, in compliance with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, the name of Professor Joash Amupitan for confirmation as Chairman of INEC,” Tinubu’s letter read in part.
The president urged senators to expedite action on the confirmation process, describing the nomination as one made in good faith and national interest.
Amupitan to replace Yakubu
Amupitan’s nomination comes following the expiration of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure in October 2025.
The 58-year-old scholar, a professor of Law from Kogi state, is also the first nominee from the North-Central region to be proposed for the position.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said the president presented Amupitan’s name to the National Council of State last week, where members unanimously endorsed his choice.
Nigerians react to Amupitan's appointment
Source: Twitter
However, Nigerians have expressed mixed reactions to the announcement, which was shared by the presidency. Below are some of their reactions:
Bayo Olupogunda welcomed the professor:
"Welcome to the toughest job in the world."
Nche Bikwe urged the new INEC chairman to be fair:
"He should be patriotic enough to perform the duty of Chairman of INEC without fear or favour, having in mind that the quality of our elections determines the kind of leadership we get, and in turn the progress we make as a nation."
Idan Gangan said the appointment is unfair to the people of the Southwest:
"This is not fair to us in the SW, we’ve never produced a single INEC chairman in the history of this country and not a single agitation from Ibos that seems to love one-Nigeria more than anyone else. Where is our federal character? Another northerner as INEC chairman isn’t fair."
Other federal appointments listed
In a separate letter, President Tinubu requested the Senate’s approval for Mrs Ayo Omidiran as the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission and 28 other nominees as Federal Commissioners, including Dr Ibrahim Abdullahi from Kwara state, ThisDay reported.
Senate President Akpabio confirmed that the matter had been referred to the Committee of the Whole and would be considered “as soon as practicable.”
Former INEC chairmen and their geopolitical zones
Previously, Legit.ng compiled a list of INEC chairmen from 2000 till date and their geopolitical zones.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), established in 1998, is the organisation responsible for overseeing elections in Nigeria.
Before INEC, different electoral bodies existed at various times, such as the Electoral Commission of Nigeria (ECN) in 1958 and the Federal Electoral Commission (FEC) in 1960, which organised elections in the early years of Nigeria’s independence.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
