TINUBU URGES AMUPITAN TO SERVE “WITH INTEGRITY BEYOND REPROACH” AS NEW INEC CHAIR BEGINS TENURE

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday charged Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), the newly sworn-in chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to lead the commission with “integrity beyond reproach” as he formally assumes office.

Tinubu administered the oath of office to Amupitan at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa at 1:50 p.m., in a brief ceremony that followed the Senate’s confirmation of his appointment on October 16. The president told the new INEC boss that restoring and protecting public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system must be his top priority.

“Ensure the integrity of our elections and strengthen the institutional capacity of INEC,” Tinubu said, charging Amupitan to run the commission transparently and resist any form of undue influence. He described the task ahead as critical to Nigeria’s democratic future and urged swift, practical action to shore up the electoral process ahead of upcoming off-cycle polls.

Amupitan, a senior advocate and seasoned legal academic, thanked the president and the Senate for the opportunity and pledged to hit the ground running. He promised to prioritise transparency, technological deployment, logistical preparedness and stakeholder engagement to improve election credibility and timeliness of results.

Analysts say Amupitan takes office at a sensitive moment for Nigeria’s democracy. With several off-cycle governorship and local elections on the calendar, expectations are high that the new chair will tackle persistent problems — from result-management delays and logistics shortfalls to allegations of political interference and security vulnerabilities in volatile areas.

Civil society groups and opposition parties have welcomed the call for integrity but say they will be watching for concrete reforms rather than rhetoric. Many have urged immediate engagement on reforms that would prevent last-minute controversies and ensure transparent collation and transmission of results.

Amupitan’s immediate priorities are expected to include meetings with INEC commissioners and senior staff, a review of contingency plans for upcoming elections, and outreach to political parties and election observers to set expectations and build buy-in for operational timelines.

As he settles into office, Amupitan inherits a commission under intense public scrutiny. Success, observers say, will depend less on speeches and more on visible, measurable changes — faster results collation, cleaner voter registers, accountable procurement and a clear record of resisting interference.