The new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan, has assumed office on Thursday at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Penpushing reports that Amupitan assumed duty after his inauguration by President Bola Tinubu at presidential villa, and arrived at about 2:40 p.m. accompanied by the Acting Chairman, May Agbamuche-Mbu, national commissioners, and the secretary to the commission.
The commission boss is expected to hold his first meeting with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Directors and management staff members shortly after the preliminary assumption of office protocols.
Penpushing further reports that Amupitan, a legal scholar from Kogi state, is a professor of law at the University of Jos, where he began his academic career in 1989, and during his inauguration was tasked to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system and strengthen the institutional capacity of the commission.
“It is important that our elections are free, fair, and credible. We must consistently improve our electoral process, addressing the challenges of yesterday and innovating for today and tomorrow’, Tinubu said.
“To maintain public trust in elections, electoral integrity must be protected. All aspects of the process, from registration to campaigning, voting, and counting, should be transparent, non-violent, and credible’, he added.
“No electoral system is flawless. But since elections are vital to a nation’s future, it is essential to continually strengthen electoral institutions, ensuring they are robust, resilient, and safeguarded against artificial setbacks,” the president stated.
Penpushing also reports that Tinubu emphasised aligning Nigeria’s electoral processes with international best practices, and charged him to take on this important assignment to protect the integrity of the country’s elections and strengthen the commission’s institutional capacity
“I therefore charge you, Prof. Amupitan, to take on this important assignment to protect the integrity of our elections and strengthen INEC’s institutional capacity’, Tinubu emphasized.
Penpushing reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman in response after the ceremony, pledged to engage stakeholders to ensure free, fair, and credible elections across the country.
“Like the president said, I was given a clear charge to ensure credible, fair, and free elections. Not just that, I will ensure that that is done, I’m also going to engage all the stakeholders. Because no matter how you set the barometer and the level of success, you still need all the stakeholders to be able to succeed’, he said
Penpushing further reports that the appointment of Amupitan who hails from Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State followed unanimous approval by the National Council of State, after Tinubu’s nomination and Senate confirmation.
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