The Senate has officially confirmed Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

His confirmation came after a voice vote by lawmakers, following a screening session in which Amupitan answered questions on his plans for the commission’s future.

Amupitan, who arrived at the National Assembly earlier in the day, exchanged pleasantries with senators before entering the chamber. He was accompanied by the Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, and several dignitaries.

At about 12:50 p.m., he was ushered into the Senate chamber by the Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Abubakar Lado. His entry followed a motion by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), to suspend Order 12 and permit visitors into the chamber. The motion was seconded by the Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South).

Senate President Godswill Akpabio welcomed Amupitan, his family, and well-wishers to the Red Chamber, commending them for their presence. Akpabio also disclosed that the nominee had been cleared by multiple security agencies, including the National Security Adviser’s office, the Department of State Services, and the Nigeria Police Force. According to Akpabio, “the Inspector-General of Police, having done a fingerprint search, confirmed that Amupitan has no criminal record.”

The screening began around 12:55 p.m. after Akpabio’s opening remarks, during which he outlined the Senate’s procedure for assessing the nominee’s credentials. Lawmakers quizzed Amupitan on his vision for credible elections, plans for institutional reforms within INEC, and strategies for enhancing the use of technology in Nigeria’s electoral system.

With his confirmation, Amupitan will now oversee preparations for upcoming off-cycle governorship elections and set the stage for the 2027 general elections.

Earlier reports indicated that President Bola Tinubu nominated Amupitan, a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, to replace Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. The nomination letter was read by Akpabio during Tuesday’s plenary session.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Jos, Amupitan is widely respected for his expertise in constitutional and international law.

The newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, appeared before the Senate on Thursday for his screening and confirmation.

Amupitan, who arrived at the National Assembly complex earlier in the day, exchanged pleasantries with Senators before entering the chamber. He was accompanied by Kogi State Governor Ahmed Ododo and other dignitaries.

At about 12:50 p.m., he was ushered into the Senate chamber by Senator Abubakar Lado, the Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters (Senate). The session was convened after Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) moved that Order 12 be suspended to allow “strangers” into the chamber. His motion was seconded by Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South).

Senate President Godswill Akpabio welcomed Amupitan, his family, and well-wishers to the Red Chamber. He informed Senators that the nominee had been cleared by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) after a comprehensive vetting process.

According to Akpabio, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector-General of Police’s office had also cleared Amupitan, confirming he had no criminal record.

The screening commenced around 12:55 p.m., following Akpabio’s remarks outlining the procedures for assessing the nominee’s credentials.

Earlier in the week, President Bola Tinubu had nominated Amupitan — a Professor of Law at the University of Jos and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) — to succeed former INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who resigned from his position.

Tinubu’s nomination letter was read on the Senate floor during plenary on Tuesday.

Amupitan, a former Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Jos, is widely recognised for his expertise in constitutional and international law. His nomination, however, has attracted mixed reactions from civil society organisations and political stakeholders, some of whom have called for deeper electoral reforms to strengthen INEC’s independence and transparency.

The ongoing screening is expected to centre on Amupitan’s vision for credible elections, his plans for institutional reforms within INEC, and strategies to enhance the use of technology in Nigeria’s electoral process.

If confirmed by the Senate, Amupitan will lead preparations for the forthcoming off-cycle governorship elections and set the foundation for the 2027 general elections.

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has claimed that three more governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will soon dump the opposition party.

Fayose made the claim on Wednesday while speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, following the recent resignation of Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri from the PDP.

According to him, the opposition party may soon be left with only five governors as internal crises continue to plague its ranks.

“Let me tell you, there are three more governors that will leave soon. There will be five remaining. The five remaining, one of them will struggle to catch the ticket, and they all know that the ticket is an ordinary tissue paper,” Fayose said.

He accused some PDP governors of contributing to the party’s decline due to their desire to control its structure.

“They are largely killing the party because they want to control it. This is what happened in 2023,” he added.

Fayose dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu has been coercing opposition governors to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He argued that most of the defecting governors are acting out of self-interest and political calculation.

“President Tinubu should not be blamed for PDP’s problems. The PDP is sick and remains perpetually sick without a cure in view,” he stated.

The former governor maintained that the crisis within the PDP is the result of internal sabotage by some of its leaders.

“Those who killed the party know themselves. There is a difference between a former governor and a sitting governor,” Fayose said.

Although still a card-carrying member of the PDP, Fayose said he bears no responsibility for resolving the crisis, insisting that the current leaders must own up to their role in the party’s troubles.