Senate Screens INEC Chair Nominee Amupitan Today.

New INEC Chair.

The Senate will on Thursday conduct the screening of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, who has been nominated for the position of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This was announced in a statement released on Wednesday by the Director of Information at the Senate, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, and distributed to members of the press in Abuja.

The announcement comes just a day after President Bola Tinubu’s letter, requesting an expedited confirmation of Amupitan, was read before lawmakers by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

According to the circular: “The Office of the Secretary, Research and Information wishes to notify members of the press and the general public that the Senate will on Thursday, 16th October, 2025, conduct the screening of the nominee of President Bola Tinubu, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, as INEC Chairman.

“The exercise is scheduled to hold at the Senate Chamber, National Assembly Complex. Members of the Senate Press Corps are kindly requested to provide their usual media coverage and support to ensure adequate dissemination of information to the public. Similarly, television stations are expected to extend the usual courtesies of providing live coverage of the event.”

Amupitan’s nomination, which received approval from the National Council of State last week, marks a significant phase for the electoral commission following the completion of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s ten-year leadership.

In his message to the Senate, President Tinubu explained that the nomination was made “in line with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)” and appealed for the lawmakers’ “usual expeditious consideration.”

“I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate the appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission,” the President wrote.

The proposed appointment comes at a crucial political period, as discussions about INEC’s independence and transparency have resurfaced following controversial post-election assessments.

Although the Presidency has described Amupitan as “an apolitical figure of impeccable integrity,” opposition parties and civil society groups have called for a fair and open confirmation process.

Thursday’s screening is expected to attract nationwide attention, as it could shape upcoming electoral reforms and serve as a test of the government’s dedication to credible elections ahead of the 2027 polls.

Meanwhile, the Northern Nigeria Minorities Group (NNMG) has cautioned against attempts by certain individuals and organisations to turn Amupitan’s nomination into an ethnic debate.

In a statement issued in Kaduna on Tuesday and signed by its Convener, Chief Jacob Edi, the group condemned what it termed “divisive commentaries and social media tirades” targeting President Tinubu’s choice of the Kogi-born legal scholar.

Edi emphasised that Amupitan, who hails from the Okun ethnic group in Kogi State, belongs to one of the minority communities in northern Nigeria, and that his nomination should be applauded rather than politicised.

“We view with consternation the ongoing attempts by certain individuals and interest groups to ethnicise the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission,” Edi said.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Professor Amupitan is an Okun man from Kogi State, one of the minority ethnic nationalities in Northern Nigeria. There are 19 states in the North, each richly diverse and unique, none superior to another by tribe, tongue, or faith.”

He expressed disapproval of what he described as “some self-styled northern voices” attempting to portray the appointment as ethnically motivated, calling such claims “false, dangerous, and inimical to national unity.”

Edi, who also bears the title of Kakaki Basanghe, stated that this is the first time in 65 years — since the creation of Nigeria’s first statutory electoral body in 1959 — that a member of a northern minority group has been chosen to head INEC.

“In all these decades, no northern minority group has ever questioned the decisions of successive Heads of State or Presidents to appoint individuals they felt comfortable working with, even when the North-West and North-East held the position consecutively for 15 years,” the statement added.

The NNMG urged Nigerians to appreciate northern minorities as equal contributors to the federation and to desist from undermining their appointments to key national offices.

Edi decried what he termed the “unfortunate trend” of discrediting northern minority appointments, saying it began under former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, when such appointments were dismissed as “not northern enough.”

“The current ethnicisation of Professor Amupitan’s appointment is a direct continuation of that ugly and retrogressive trend, and it must stop,” he stated.

The group further stressed that the North should be defined by inclusion and diversity rather than ethnicity, warning that those promoting divisive rhetoric are “the real enemies of national unity and progress.”

It went on to highlight several concerns, arguing that the opposition to Amupitan’s nomination reflects a long-standing bias against minorities in northern Nigeria.

“This jejune narrative underscores our growing concern that some of our northern colleagues continue to perceive northern minorities merely as fillers of demography, unworthy of the privileges and recognition that come with our place in the federation,” it stated.

“Such thinking is antiquated, divisive, and inimical to the spirit of modern governance.”

According to the group, Nigeria must now prioritise competence, integrity, and capability over ethnic sentiments, especially after 65 years of independence.

“The appointment of Professor Amupitan should be celebrated as a bold step toward inclusivity, equity, and meritocracy. These are values that must be internalised if we are to strengthen our democracy,” the statement added.

The NNMG praised President Tinubu for “recognising the diversity of the North,” saying that his appointments reflect a genuine effort to give all constituent groups a sense of belonging.

Edi further cautioned that efforts to deepen ethnic or sectional divisions would only weaken democratic development.

“We urge political actors, commentators, and citizens alike to rise above petty identity politics and focus on building institutions that work, irrespective of who heads them. The time for ethnic arithmetic is over. The era of competence, fairness, and national responsibility must begin in earnest,” he said.

The group maintained that northern minorities are instrumental in maintaining Nigeria’s stability and, collectively, represent “the real majority” that continues to support unity and progress.

“We must reiterate, without ambiguity, that northern minorities collectively constitute the true stabilising force of this federation — and when placed together, we are not just minorities; we are the real majority that believes in the unity and progress of Nigeria,” Edi said.

He concluded by urging an end to the politicisation of national appointments and called on Nigerians to support Amupitan as he assumes leadership of the electoral body.

“Let competence and fairness, not ethnicity, define our national discourse. The success of Nigeria’s democracy depends on it,” Edi added.