President Bola Tinubu on Thursday administered the oath of office to Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, officially inaugurating him as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The brief swearing-in ceremony took place at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, at exactly 1:50 p.m. and was attended by top government officials, including cabinet members and presidential aides.
President Tinubu, in his remarks, charged the newly appointed electoral chief to safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system and strengthen the institutional capacity of INEC.
He emphasized that Amupitan’s leadership would be crucial in ensuring free, fair, and credible elections across the country.
Amupitan’s inauguration follows his confirmation by the Senate on October 16, after an extensive screening exercise. His appointment was also ratified by the National Council of State.
The professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure as INEC chairman recently came to an end.
The new INEC boss had earlier told lawmakers during his screening that his focus would be on restoring public confidence in the electoral process, strengthening internal reforms, and promoting transparency in election management.
With Thursday’s swearing-in, Amupitan officially assumes office as Nigeria’s sixth substantive INEC chairman since the commission’s establishment.
