Credible polls continue to be the cornerstone of public trust and democratic stability, according to President Bola Tinubu, who on Thursday tasked Professor Joash Amupitan, the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, with prioritising transparency and non-violence as Nigeria gets ready for the general elections in 2027.
Shortly after giving the new INEC chairman the oath of office, Tinubu spoke at the State House in Abuja and stated that the Senate’s confirmation of Amupitan’s appointment a week ago was a sign of the legislative and executive branches’ faith in his abilities and moral character.
As you embark on this task, Professor Amupitan, I implore you to safeguard the integrity of our elections, the electoral process, and INEC’s institutional capacity. I also wish you luck on your first assignment, which is the Anambra State governorship election in November 2025, Tinubu stated.
This marks the start of a difficult but worthwhile journey, and I have faith that you will approach your duties with the utmost integrity, dedication, and patriotism. “As the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, your nomination and confirmation are a testament to your capacity and the confidence reposed in you,” Tinubu said.
The President underlined how Nigeria’s democracy, which has existed since 1999, has developed via innovation, reforms, and learning from previous setbacks.
“We have made great strides in our democracy. In particular, our election system has been enhanced and our democratic institutions have been solidified. According to Tinubu, “the integrity of our electoral system must be beyond reproach in order to ensure that our democracy continues to flourish.”
Although no election system was perfect, President Tinubu continued, maintaining public trust required credibility and openness at every level, including registration, campaigning, voting, and results collection.
“Electoral integrity must be preserved, and all facets of the process from registration to campaigning, media access, voting, and counting, all must be transparent, non-violent, and credible,” he stated, in order to preserve public confidence in elections.
“Elections protect the people’s sole authority to select their leaders and determine their own destiny.
“Our electoral process needs to be continuously improved, tackling the issues of the past while introducing new ideas for the present and the future.”
Tinubu encouraged Amupitan to make non-violence, inclusivity, and transparency the top priorities in upcoming elections.
Amupitan promised to respect the Constitution and involve all parties in the effort to arrange legitimate elections shortly after the event, according to State House correspondents.
“As the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, I recently took the oath of allegiance. In regards to the electoral system, I reaffirm my commitment to upholding the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution and laws. As the President stated, I have been charged with making sure that elections are free, fair, and credible, and I shall do so,” he said.
The new head of INEC stated that cooperation with security services, civil society organisations, and political parties would be a top priority under his leadership.
“All stakeholders must work together for the system to be successful, regardless of how well it is designed,” he stated.
After leading the commission since 2015, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the longest-serving INEC chairman to date, is succeeded by Amupitan.
At 1:50 pm, he took the oath of office in the Presidential Villa’s Council Chamber in Abuja.
Amupitan, a professor of law at the University of Jos and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was endorsed by the National Council of State before being approved by the Senate on October 16, 2025.
Two days after Yakubu’s departure, on October 9, the National Council of State authorised his nomination.
Amupitan is Kogi, North-Central’s first INEC chairman.
Amupitan described his appointment as a “divine” call to serve the country and vowed to restore credibility and public confidence in the nation’s electoral system when he took office at the commission’s offices in Abuja.
Speaking at his first formal meeting with the commission’s directors, he emphasised that integrity, discipline, and teamwork inside the company will be essential to achieving the commission’s purpose.
The chairman of INEC declared that his goal was to uphold democratic principles throughout the nation while holding free, fair, and credible elections.
“What is our mandate, and is it clear? to conduct credible, free, and fair elections that represent the Nigerian people’s will. We have to work as a team to do this,” he said.
