The Senate will today screen Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan for confirmation as INEC Chairman.
His nomination by President Tinubu has drawn national attention amid calls for a transparent screening process.
The Senate will today, Thursday, screen Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan for the position of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This was announced in a circular issued on Wednesday by the Senate’s Director of Information, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, and shared with journalists in Abuja.
The announcement follows President Bola Tinubu’s letter to the Senate on Wednesday seeking quick confirmation of Amupitan’s appointment.
According to the circular, the screening will take place inside the Senate Chamber at the National Assembly Complex. It added that members of the Senate Press Corps and television stations are expected to provide full media and live coverage of the event.
Amupitan’s nomination comes after the National Council of State endorsed him last week. His appointment marks a major transition for INEC following the end of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s ten-year tenure as chairman.
President Tinubu, in his letter to the Senate, said the nomination was made in line with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution and asked lawmakers to handle the confirmation without delay. He described Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as a candidate of integrity and competence.
The nomination comes at a time when debates about INEC’s credibility and independence remain intense. While the Presidency has defended the nominee’s neutrality, several opposition groups have called for a transparent screening process.
The session is expected to attract wide public attention, as it could influence upcoming electoral reforms and test the administration’s commitment to credible elections ahead of 2027.
Meanwhile, the Northern Nigeria Minorities Group (NNMG) has warned against attempts to link Amupitan’s appointment to ethnic politics.
In a statement signed by its convener, Chief Jacob Edi, the group expressed worry over what it called divisive comments targeting the nominee’s ethnic background. Edi described Amupitan, an indigene of the Okun community in Kogi State, as a representative of northern minorities who deserve equal recognition in national affairs.
He noted that no person from the northern minority groups has ever led the electoral body since its establishment in 1959. The group urged Nigerians to celebrate the appointment as a move toward fairness and inclusion rather than questioning it along tribal lines.
According to the NNMG, competence and integrity should be the main criteria for leadership, not ethnicity. The group also commended President Tinubu for recognizing the region’s diversity and giving all groups a sense of belonging through his recent appointments.
Edi cautioned political actors and citizens against stoking division, stressing that national appointments should unite rather than divide the country. He urged Nigerians to support Amupitan as he prepares to take charge of the electoral commission.
