Senate to Screen Joash Amupitan for INEC Chairmanship Thursday

The Senate will on Thursday, 16th October 2025, conduct the screening of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for the position of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This was disclosed in a circular issued on Wednesday by the Director of Information of the Senate, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah. The notice, made available to journalists in Abuja, stated that the exercise will take place at the Senate Chamber, National Assembly Complex.

The circular urged members of the Senate Press Corps to provide coverage and television stations to extend live broadcast of the event. The screening follows the formal reading of President Tinubu’s letter seeking Amupitan’s confirmation by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

Amupitan’s nomination, endorsed last week by the National Council of State, comes as Prof. Mahmood Yakubu concludes his decade-long tenure as INEC chairman. In his letter to the Senate, President Tinubu emphasized that the appointment was in line with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and requested lawmakers to give “expeditious consideration” to the nomination.

Described by the presidency as an “apolitical figure of impeccable integrity,” Amupitan’s confirmation process is expected to attract nationwide attention amid ongoing debates about INEC’s independence and credibility following the 2023 general elections. Opposition parties and civil society organisations have urged the Senate to ensure a transparent and rigorous screening.

Political observers note that Thursday’s proceedings could set the tone for electoral reforms and gauge the administration’s commitment to credible elections ahead of the 2027 polls.