The newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, is set to officially assume office today, Thursday, October 23, 2025, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
His assumption marks the beginning of a new era for Nigeria’s electoral management body following the end of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s decade-long tenure.
According to an internal circular signed by Deputy Director of Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah, on behalf of the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, the incoming chairman will hold his inaugural meeting with INEC directors at 1:30 p.m. in the Commission’s Conference Hall.
The meeting is expected to set the tone for policy direction and strategic planning under his leadership.
Professor Amupitan’s appointment was ratified by the Senate in September after a thorough screening process initiated by President Bola Tinubu.
During the process, lawmakers assessed his capacity, integrity, and commitment to electoral reform, qualities many say position him to consolidate the progress achieved under his predecessor.
A distinguished scholar and former Dean of Law at the University of Jos, Amupitan is renowned for his expertise in constitutional and administrative law, as well as his contributions to legal education and governance reforms.
His appointment has drawn commendation from academic and civil society circles who describe it as a step toward strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
Meanwhile, key civil society organisations have urged the new chairman to sustain the momentum of transparency and innovation introduced during Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure.
The call was made on Wednesday at a colloquium organised by the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) to review electoral reforms implemented over the past decade.
The CSOs emphasised that credible elections depend not only on the leadership of INEC but also on the collaboration of political parties, the judiciary, security agencies, and citizens.
