President Bola Tinubu has officially sworn in Prof. Joash Amupitan as the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The brief ceremony took place on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where Amupitan, dressed in white agbada and gold cap, took the oath of office before the Federal Executive Council meeting.

Tinubu charged the new INEC boss to protect the credibility of Nigeria’s elections and strengthen the commission’s institutional capacity.

> “You must uphold fairness, professionalism and transparency,” the president said. “The goal is to build an electoral system that commands public confidence.”

Amupitan’s appointment was confirmed by the Senate last week, following the expiration of Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure on October 7.
A senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and professor of law, the 58-year-old pledged to reform the electoral process, amend weak areas of the Electoral Act and improve voter trust.

He also dismissed claims linking him to Tinubu’s legal team during the 2023 presidential election petition, describing them as “false and unfounded”.

Amupitan is the sixth substantive head of the electoral body since its establishment.

President Bola Tinubu has nominated Ikechukwu Ugwuegede to represent the South-East on the board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Ugwuegede, a former Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) between 2011 and 2015, had also contested to represent the Nsukka/Igboeze South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives during the 2019 general elections under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This latest nomination follows public criticism of the earlier NCC board list sent to the Senate, which had no representative from the South-East.

In a fresh letter to the Senate, read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Wednesday, President Tinubu announced Ugwuegede’s inclusion on the board.

Other members of the NCC board earlier nominated and confirmed include Idris Olorunnimbe as Chairman (South-West), Aminu Maida as Executive Vice-Chairman (North-West), and Abraham Oshidami as Executive Commissioner, Technical Services (North-Central).

Also confirmed are Rimini Makama (Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, North-East), Hajia Maryam Bayi, Col. Abdulwahab Lawal (rtd), Senator Lekan Mustafa (South-West), Chris Okorie (South-South), and Princess Oforitsenere Emiko (Commissioner, South-South).

In his letter, Tinubu urged the Senate to give the nomination expedited consideration, assuring lawmakers of his “highest regards and consideration.”

The Publisher of Sahara Reporters and convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore, has been arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja.

Sowore was reportedly picked up on Thursday shortly after leaving the Federal High Court, where he had appeared for a scheduled hearing before Justice Emeka Nwite over an alleged forgery case.

Sources said the activist, who was informed that the court would not be sitting, was accosted by a police officer as he made to leave the premises. The officer allegedly informed him that he was under arrest.

Members of his legal team, led by human rights lawyer Tope Temokun, confronted the officers to demand an explanation. However, the police reportedly stated that they were acting on the “direct instruction” of the Commissioner before escorting Sowore into a waiting vehicle.

As of the time of filing this report, the reason for the arrest remains unclear.

More to come…