The Senate has confirmed President Bola Tinubu’s nominee, Joash Amupitan, as the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The upper chamber confirmed Amupitan after his screening on Thursday.
Amupitan, during his submission, vowed to ensure INEC’s independence.
Amupitan Promises Audit Of 2023 Elections
The nominee for Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has promised to conduct a general audit of the electoral body, with particular focus on the logistics challenges that plagued the 2023 general elections.
Amupitan made this known on Thursday during his screening by the Senate Committee of the Whole.
He said the audit would help unravel lapses and enable the Commission, in collaboration with stakeholders, to design workable solutions ahead of future polls.
Speaking on the controversies surrounding the INEC’s Results Viewing Portal (IREV), Amupitan quoted the Supreme Court’s ruling, stressing that the platform was never part of the official results collation system.
“A lot of people thought it was part of the results collation system, but the Supreme Court said it is not,” he explained.
He added that failure to properly educate Nigerians before the polls contributed to public misunderstanding of the system.
The nominee also emphasised the need for an independent electoral offences commission to conduct investigations and prosecute electoral crimes.
“INEC does not have the capacity for investigation and prosecution at the moment,” he stated, adding that such a body would strengthen credibility and accountability in the electoral process.
Proposes Use Of Drones During Election
Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has suggested the deployment of drones to monitor elections and safeguard sensitive electoral materials.
Amupitan made the proposal on Thursday while responding to a question from Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North) during his Senate screening.
Kalu, expressing concern over the worsening security situation, asked how INEC under his leadership would ensure that election materials are safely transported to polling units across the country.
In his response, the nominee acknowledged that insecurity remained one of the biggest threats to credible polls but assured lawmakers that the Commission would explore technology and strategic partnerships to address the challenge.
Amupitan said, “The issue of security is a major challenge but at the same time, it can be tackled.”
He explained that INEC would deepen investment in logistics and work closely with the existing joint committee on election security to secure elections in volatile areas.
“I know there is a joint committee on election security. One of the things we have to do is to work with that committee to see how we can handle security issues in some challenge areas,” he stated.
Amupitan further proposed the use of drones and other modern devices to enhance monitoring and ensure timely delivery of electoral materials.
“We can also invest more on logistics to ensure that we can penetrate every part of Nigeria, even if we have to use drones or whatever to ensure that material gets to where it ought to,” he added.
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