Garba Mohammed
The Senate, on Thursday, commenced the screening of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, the nominee for Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Professor of Law at the University of Jos, arrived at the Senate chambers shortly before 12:50 p.m., accompanied by the Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo, and several dignitaries. He exchanged pleasantries with lawmakers before being ushered into the chamber for the exercise.
The nominee’s appearance followed a motion by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), which sought to suspend Order 12 of the Senate Standing Rules to permit “strangers” into the chamber. The motion was seconded by Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), the Minority Leader.
In his welcome address, Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended Amupitan’s academic and professional achievements and acknowledged the presence of his family members and associates. Akpabio also informed lawmakers that Amupitan had been cleared by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Police Force, which confirmed through fingerprint verification that the nominee had no criminal record.
The screening exercise formally began around 12:55 p.m., with Akpabio outlining the procedures for assessing the nominee’s credentials and responses.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had earlier forwarded Amupitan’s name to the Senate for confirmation, following the resignation of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who led the Commission for nearly a decade. The nomination was conveyed in a letter read on the Senate floor on Tuesday, in line with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Amupitan, a respected scholar of constitutional and international law, previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Jos. His nomination has, however, generated mixed reactions among civil society organisations and political observers, with calls for reforms aimed at strengthening INEC’s independence and transparency.
Thursday’s screening is expected to focus on Amupitan’s vision for credible and technology-driven elections, as well as his proposed institutional reforms within the electoral body.
Amupitan will immediately oversee preparations for the forthcoming off-cycle governorship elections and lead the Commission into the 2027 general elections.