- Safiu Kehinde
President Bola Tinubu has on Tuesday formally written to the Senate, seeking the lawmaker’s approval of Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Tinubu’s request was presented at the red chamber by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary on Tuesday.
As contained in the letter read by Akpabio, the president held that Amupitan’s nomination is in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, which mandates Senate confirmation for such appointments.
The request was subsequently referred to the committee of the whole for further legislative consideration.
Akpabio also read other communications from the President regarding appointments that require legislative approval.
NPO Reported that the National Council of State had last week Tinubu’s nomination of Amupitan as the new INEC Chairman.
This came coming barely two days after the exit of the immediate past chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
Mahmood who had been at the helm of the Commission’s affairs since 2015 announced his handing over during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners at the INEC headquarters in Abuja
He handed over to May Agbamuche who currently hold the in acting capacity as Tinubu presented Amupitan as the nominee to fill the vacant position.
The President, as disclosed in a statement issued last week Thursday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, told the council that Amupitan is the first person from Kogi, North-Central state, nominated to occupy the position and is apolitical.
Council members unanimously supported the nomination, with the state Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo describing Amupitan as a man of integrity.