Senate to Screen Tinubu’s INEC Nominee, Joash Amupitan, on Thursday

The Nigerian Senate will on Thursday, October 16, 2025, conduct the screening of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for the position of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to a statement issued in Abuja by the Director of Information at the National Assembly, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, the screening will take place inside the Senate Chamber at the National Assembly Complex. Members of the Senate Press Corps and television stations have been invited to provide live coverage of the session.

Amupitan’s nomination was formally transmitted to the Senate on Tuesday through a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, less than 24 hours before the confirmation hearing was announced. The President stated that the appointment was made in line with Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), urging the upper chamber to give it expeditious consideration.

A law professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Amupitan currently serves as a faculty member at Joseph Ayo Babalola University. His selection follows the exit of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who concluded his decade-long tenure as INEC chairman earlier this month.

The nomination, reportedly endorsed by the National Council of State, has sparked discussions among political observers about INEC’s independence and the credibility of Nigeria’s future elections.

While the presidency has described Amupitan as an “a political figure of integrity,” opposition parties and civil society groups have called for a transparent and rigorous confirmation process.

Thursday’s screening is expected to attract national attention as it marks a critical step in shaping electoral leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.