Tinubu to Swear In Amupitan as New INEC Chairman

By: Aremu Toyeebaht

President Bola Tinubu is set to formally swear in Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) this afternoon.

The inauguration will take place at 12:00 noon inside the Council Chamber of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, according to senior government officials familiar with the President’s schedule.

“It’s going to hold tomorrow (Thursday),” a official confirmed on Wednesday, while another added, “It should be in the afternoon around 12:00 p.m. or 1 o’clock.”

The ceremony is expected to be attended by top government functionaries, including members of the Federal Executive Council, National Assembly leaders, legal experts, civil society representatives, and senior INEC officials.

Immediately after his swearing-in, Prof. Amupitan will hold his first official meeting with INEC directors at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. The meeting, scheduled for 1:30 p.m., will be open to media coverage, according to a notice signed by INEC’s Deputy Director of Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah.

President Tinubu had previously stated that Amupitan’s selection was based on his “integrity, professionalism, and apolitical stance.”

“President Tinubu told the council that Amupitan is the first person from Kogi, a North-Central state, nominated to occupy the position and is apolitical,” said Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Professor of Law at the University of Jos, was confirmed by the Senate on October 16, 2025, following his endorsement by the National Council of State.

His appointment succeeds that of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who concluded his tenure on October 7.