Nigeria’s newly confirmed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has vowed to embrace modern technology, including the use of drones, to safeguard election materials and strengthen electoral security across the country.
Speaking during his Senate screening on Thursday, Amupitan promised that under his leadership, elections in Nigeria would be transparent enough for “losers to congratulate winners in good faith.” Following a three-hour session, the Senate unanimously confirmed his appointment through a voice vote led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, making Amupitan the successor to Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served for a decade.
Amupitan, a Professor of Law and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Jos, clarified that he never served as legal counsel to President Bola Tinubu or the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 election petitions. He emphasized that his focus is on credibility and transparency, saying, “Our goal is to make elections so credible that both winners and losers will accept the results as fair.”
Outlining his plans, the new INEC Chairman announced that drones would be deployed to monitor logistics, prevent electoral malpractice, and ensure that materials reach designated polling stations safely. He also pledged to audit the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal to identify and fix the glitches that undermined the 2023 elections.
Amupitan further disclosed plans to establish an Ethics and Compliance Committee to investigate erring officials and a whistleblower policy to protect those who expose misconduct. He also advocated for an Electoral Offences Commission to prosecute electoral crimes, reinforcing his commitment to accountability.
On logistics, he promised stronger collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to enhance voter verification and election coordination. He added that INEC would intensify voter education, streamline election timelines, and strictly adhere to procurement and financial management laws.
Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West) hailed Amupitan’s appointment as historic, noting that it was the first time Kogi State had produced an INEC Chairman. Senate President Akpabio, while congratulating him, urged Amupitan to “restore public trust and ensure elections that truly reflect the people’s will.”
At the close of the session, the Senate unanimously adopted the motion for Amupitan to “take a bow and go,” formally sealing his confirmation.
