President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sworn in Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The brief swearing-in ceremony took place on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with top government officials, ministers, and political leaders in attendance.
Professor Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Dean of Law at the University of Jos, succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure recently ended after nearly a decade at the helm of the nation’s electoral body.
Speaking after the ceremony, President Tinubu charged the new INEC Chairman to uphold integrity, transparency, and impartiality in the conduct of future elections, stressing that Nigeria’s democracy must continue to grow stronger through credible electoral processes.
“You have been called to serve at a critical time in our nation’s democratic journey. Nigerians expect fairness, innovation, and the highest level of professionalism from the Commission under your leadership,” the President said.
In his brief remarks, Professor Amupitan pledged to consolidate on the gains made by his predecessors while introducing reforms aimed at restoring public confidence in the electoral system.
“INEC will remain an unbiased umpire. My focus will be on transparency, technology-driven processes, and strengthening stakeholder engagement to ensure every Nigerian vote counts,” he assured.
Amupitan’s appointment had been confirmed earlier by the Senate 
following his nomination by President Tinubu earlier this month.
The new INEC boss is expected to begin consultations with national commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in the coming days to map out the Commission’s agenda ahead of upcoming off-cycle and general elections.
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