The Senate has confirmed Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan SAN as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The confirmation of Amupitan followed the screening exercise at the Hallowed Chamber on Thursday, where the Senators grilled the nominee of President Bola Tinubu for three hours, asking him questions to which he responded.
After the Committee of the Whole, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, asked if the confirmation was a true reflection of the House, and the ayes had it.
Akpabio said he was approved without any dissenting voice, and he asked him to carry on his job where votes will count.
While answering the questions, Amupitan said that he was never a Legal Counsel to the All Progressives Congress-APC at the 2023 Presidential Electoral Petition at the Tribunal and up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Answering questions from the Senators during the screening exercise, Amupitan emphasised that the law reports of those copies for the cases are available for everyone to review if they were part of President Bola Tinubu’s legal team.
He has also assured the Senate that once cleared and confirmed as INEC Chairman, he will ensure elections are conducted where the losers congratulate the winners for the country’s growth and development.
The nominee, who also promised to work on logistics to ensure that the commission uses clones to safeguard materials, said that there will be aggressive voter education.
Amupitan appeared before the Senators for three hours.
Earlier, Amupitan was allowed into the hallowed chamber at 12:50 pm after the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central, moved that Order 12 be set aside to allow strangers into the chamber. He was seconded by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, PDP, Benue South.
Before introducing himself to the Senators for the question and answer session, Akpabio disclosed to his colleagues that the nominee had been cleared by the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, after vetting and fingerprinting.
According to Akpabio, the office of the Department of State Services, DSS, had also cleared him.
The President of the Senate also stated that the Office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), after conducting a fingerprint search on him, cleared him and confirmed that he has no criminal records with the Police.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu had on Tuesday written to the Senate, seeking the screening and subsequent confirmation of Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) as the new National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The President, in a letter read by Akpabio, sought expeditious consideration and approval by the Senate.
The letter read: “In accordance with the provisions of section 154 subsection 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate the appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Attached is his curriculum vitae, while hoping that the Senate will consider and confirm the appointment of the nominee in its usual expeditious manner.
“Please accept, distinguished Senate President, the assurances of my highest consideration.”
Senator Akpabio accordingly forwarded the request to the committee of the whole for legislative action as soon as practicable.