Nigeria’s Opposition Lawmakers Coalition has expressed support for the appointment of Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, as the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing him as a seasoned professional capable of strengthening the nation’s electoral system.
The National Council of State on Thursday approved the nomination of Prof. Amupitan, who currently serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Jos, to succeed Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who stepped down earlier in the week.
Spokesperson of the Opposition Lawmakers, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, said the group believes in Amupitan’s competence and integrity, urging him not to disappoint Nigerians but to put the national interest above political considerations.
Ugochinyere further called on the incoming INEC Chairman to leverage his vast legal and administrative experience to initiate far-reaching electoral reforms once confirmed and sworn in.
He described the appointment as a unique opportunity for Amupitan to ‘write his name in gold’ by restoring public trust and credibility in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The statement read in part, ‘For us as opposition coalition lawmakers, we welcome the appointment made by the President, appointing Amupitan as the new INEC Chairman, because looking at his background in terms of academic excellence, he comes highly recommended. He can’t fail; he has been a lecturer and a lawyer
‘We have an INEC chairman who knows the difficulty in proving an election petition, knows the loopholes, etc. He has taught it in the classroom and practiced it in the field, and now he’s going to execute it. He has no reason to fail. He has all the professional qualifications required to administer a successful INEC.
‘We don’t have any history of his bad deed; if we did, we would have been among those who would say no to this appointment. We need to judge the man by his past standards, and those past standards are in his professional record.
‘Let us allow him to transition into the position, then we start watching his efforts, decisions as the day goes by. The election coming up in Anambra will be a test case of his capacity to handle INEC. Osun too.
‘We believe he has reason to succeed, and we also believe he has no reason to fail because he has the professional capacity. Those things he has experienced in the field, he now has the capacity to adjust those loopholes that are unending. So we welcome his appointment and support him as long as he continues to administer INEC in compliance with the provisions of the law.’