On Thursday, October 24, 2025, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, assumed office as the 13th INEC Chairman. Highly recommended and widely respected, his appointment has eased initial fears of political interference.

Key Priorities for Amupitan

1. Restoring Voter Confidence
   • The 2023 Presidential Election “glitch” undermined public trust.
   • Amupitan’s tenure will be judged by the extent to which Nigerians are motivated to vote en masse and trust that their votes genuinely count.
2. Ensuring Transparent and Credible Elections
   • Minimize election-related violence, ballot snatching, and falsification of results.
   • Reduce dependency on election petition tribunals by ensuring accurate, credible outcomes.
3. Strengthening INEC’s Independence
   • Advocate for financial autonomy, including direct funding from the Federation Account.
   • Reduce undue influence from ruling parties and ensure INEC operates as a neutral body.
4. Digitalisation and Technology in Elections
   • Build on previous initiatives like the Smart Card Reader and BVAS.
   • Advance technology to enable real-time, credible results with minimal human interference.
5. Leadership and Personal Integrity
   • Amupitan is expected to emulate the courage and integrity of past leaders like Prof Humphrey Nwosu, who conducted credible elections despite external pressures.
   • His personal character and commitment to electoral fairness will be central to his success.

Overall Vision

Amupitan’s tenure is seen as an opportunity to sanitize Nigeria’s electoral process, enhance transparency, and restore the electorate’s faith in democracy. Success will hinge on credible elections, strengthened independence, technological innovation, and principled leadership.