Tinubu swears in Amupitan as INEC Chairman

President Bola Tinubu has sworn in Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Amupitan arrived at the State House on Thursday morning ahead of the ceremony scheduled for early afternoon.

The latest helmsman of the national electoral body took the oath at 1.50pm inside the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

While addressing the new INEC boss, Tinubu urged him to safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system and enhance the institutional capacity of the commission.

The president stated that Amupitan must ensure the credibility of future polls by upholding fairness, professionalism and transparency. His swearing-in ceremony has held a week after the senate confirmed his appointment on October 16.

During his appearance before lawmakers, the 58-year-old law professor outlined plans to reform Nigeria’s electoral process, strengthen institutional independence and rebuild public confidence in INEC.

Amupitan told the Senators during his screening, “We must conduct elections where even the loser will congratulate the winner and say, ‘You won fairly and well’. When that happens, voters’ confidence will naturally be restored.”

He also pledged to prioritise amendments to the Electoral Act, eliminate grey areas in election timelines and improve transparency in the conduct of polls.

Amupitan then strongly denied claims of his alleged involvement in Tinubu’s legal team during the 2023 presidential election petition.

“I never appeared before the Presidential Election Tribunal or the Supreme Court for any of the parties,” he said.

Following his swearing-in, the new INEC chairman is expected to assume office immediately and begin the transition process at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Amupitan succeeds Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure as INEC chairman ended on October 7, 2025.

His appointment makes him the sixth substantive head of the commission since its establishment.