Tinubu urges Senate to confirm Amupitan as INEC chair

President Bola Tinubu has formally written to the Senate, seeking the screening and confirmation of Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The request, contained in a letter read on Tuesday by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary, followed the endorsement of Amupitan’s nomination by the Council of State last Thursday.

The President urged the lawmakers to give the appointment their “usual expeditious consideration.”

According to Tinubu, the nomination was made in line with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“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 read.

The President also enclosed the nominee’s curriculum vitae for review and concluded by extending his highest regards to the Senate President.

In response, Senator Akpabio referred the nomination to the Committee of the Whole for consideration “as soon as practicable.”

In a separate letter, Tinubu also sought Senate confirmation for the appointment of Mrs. Ayo Omidiran as the new Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission and 28 others as Federal Commissioners.

Among them is Dr. Ibrahim Abdullahi from Kwara State.

Amupitan’s nomination comes at a time of heightened debate over electoral credibility and institutional independence.

His appointment, which followed the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu after a decade at the helm of INEC, has already stirred sharp divisions among opposition parties and civil society groups.

Critics argue that the new chairman must prove his independence in the face of deep public skepticism about the electoral umpire’s neutrality.

But Tinubu, who described Amupitan as “an apolitical figure of impeccable integrity,” told the Council of State that his choice was guided by “record of service and character.”

The confirmation process, expected to begin in the coming days, will likely set the tone for the next phase of electoral reforms and test the administration’s commitment to credible elections ahead of 2027.