- Safiu Kehinde
President Bola Tinubu has on Thursday officially sworn-in Prof. Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This is coming a week after Amupitan was screened with his appointment approved by the Senate.
As disclosed in a post shared on X by the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, the new INEC Chairman was sworn-in at the State House Council Chambers in the Aso Villa with Tinubu presiding over the event.
Amupitan took his oath of allegiance before the President and all members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), state governors, and notable political office holders present at the event.
In his address to the new INEC boss, Tinubu charged Amupitan to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s elections and electoral process as well as strengthen the institutional capacity of INEC.
The President expressed his confidence in Amupitan’s integrity, dedication, and patriotism.
“As the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, your nomination to the important role and the subsequent confirmation by the Senate is a testament to your capacity and the confidence reposed in you by both the executive and the legislative arms of government.
“The significant achievement marked the beginning of a challenging yet rewarding journey, and I trust that you will approach your responsibilities with the highest level of integrity, dedication and patriotism.
“Our democracy has come a long way. In 25 years, we have consolidated and strengthened our democratic institutions, particularly our electoral system, through innovation and reforms.
“We have learned a great deal along the way and have improved significantly from where we were many years ago.
“We must now remain committed to the principles that underpin democracy in a complex, multifaceted society.” Tinubu said.
The President harped on the significance of electoral process in democracy.
He called for integrity in the electoral system and improvement of the electoral process.
“The electoral process is a vital part of a democracy, safeguarding the people’s exclusive right to choose their leaders and shape their future.
“To ensure that our democracy continues to flourish, the integrity of our electoral system must be beyond reproach. It is important that our elections are free, fair and credible.
“We must consistently improve our electoral process, addressing the challenges of yesterday and innovating for today and tomorrow. To maintain public trust in elections, electoral integrity must be protected.
“All aspects of the process, from registration to campaigning, immediate access, voting and counting should be transparent, non-violent and be credible.
“No electoral system is flawless, but since elections are vital to a nation’s future, it is essential to continually strengthen electoral institutions, ensuring they are robust, resilient and safeguarded against official setbacks.
“I therefore charge you, Professor, as you take on this important assignment to protect the integrity of our elections and electoral process and strengthen the institutional capacity of INEC,” the President said.