The Senate will today (Thursday) screen Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan for confirmation as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The announcement was contained in a circular issued on Wednesday by the Senate’s Director of Information, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, and made available to journalists in Abuja.
The development follows President Bola Tinubu’s letter to the Senate seeking the speedy confirmation of Amupitan’s appointment, which was read on the floor by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday.
According to the circular, the screening will hold at the Senate Chamber, National Assembly Complex, with the press corps and television stations urged to provide full coverage of the exercise.
Amupitan’s nomination, endorsed last week by the National Council of State, marks a major transition for INEC following the exit of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who served as chairman for a decade.
In his letter, President Tinubu said the appointment was made “in line with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)” and urged lawmakers to give it their usual expeditious consideration.
The President described Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), as a person of integrity whose experience would strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
The screening comes amid renewed public debate over INEC’s independence and capacity to deliver credible elections ahead of the 2027 general polls.
Meanwhile, the Northern Nigeria Minorities Group (NNMG) has cautioned against attempts to ethnicise Amupitan’s appointment.
In a statement issued in Kaduna on Tuesday, the group’s Convener, Chief Jacob Edi, condemned what he described as “divisive commentaries and social media tirades” questioning the President’s choice of the Kogi-born scholar.
Edi noted that Amupitan, an indigene of the Okun ethnic group, represents one of the minority nationalities in northern Nigeria, and his appointment should be viewed as a progressive step toward inclusivity.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Professor Amupitan is an Okun man from Kogi State, one of the minority ethnic nationalities in Northern Nigeria. There are 19 states in the North, each richly diverse and unique, none superior to another by tribe, tongue, or faith,” Edi stated.
He described attempts to portray the appointment as ethnically motivated as “false, dangerous, and inimical to national unity,” stressing that it was the first time in 65 years that a northern minority had been appointed to lead the nation’s electoral body.
The NNMG urged Nigerians to celebrate competence and integrity over ethnicity, warning that divisive narratives threaten national cohesion.
“The appointment of Professor Amupitan should be seen as a bold step toward inclusivity, equity, and meritocracy,” Edi said. “The era of ethnic arithmetic is over; competence and fairness must now define our democracy.”
