The 10th Senate has confirmed Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).
His confirmation followed a thorough screening session yesterday, during which lawmakers engaged the nominee on a range of electoral and administrative issues.
After responding to several questions, Amupitan was asked to take a bow and leave the Senate chamber, after which the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, moved a Motion for the restoration of floor privileges earlier suspended. The Motion was seconded by the Minority Leader and adopted through a voice vote.
Announcing the confirmation, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said, “The nomination of Joash Ojo Amupitan for appointment as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission is hereby confirmed”.
Shortly after his confirmation, Professor Amupitan announced plans to conduct a comprehensive audit of INEC’s operations, focusing particularly on the logistics of the 2023 general elections. He said the review would identify institutional challenges and propose practical reforms in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
During his screening, Amupitan also addressed issues surrounding election technology and transparency, referencing a Supreme Court ruling which clarified that the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IREV) is not part of the official results collation system — a point he said was misunderstood by many Nigerians during the 2023 polls.
He further advocated the creation of an Electoral Offences Commission to investigate and prosecute electoral crimes, noting that INEC lacks the capacity to handle such cases.
Amupitan’s pledge comes amid public outrage over INEC’s reported demand of ₦1.5 billion as the production cost for releasing a certified true copy of Nigeria’s National Register of Voters and polling unit list.
The fee, stated in a letter signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony in response to a Freedom of Information request by Abuja-based law firm V.C. Ottaokpukpu & Associates, was said to represent “the actual cost of production” of the over 93 million voter entries compiled before the 2023 elections.
However, the figure has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups and analysts, who described it as excessive and inconsistent with the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, which restricts access charges to reasonable processing costs. Critics argued that such fees undermine transparency and raise questions about INEC’s accountability.
