President Bola Tinubu on Thursday said the 2027 general elections should be transparent and violence-free, adding that credible polls were necessary to maintain public trust and democracy.
The President said this shortly after administering the oath of office to the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, at the State House in Abuja.
He said, “I, therefore, urge you, Professor Amupitan, as you take on this assignment, to protect the integrity of our elections and the electoral process and the institutional capacity of INEC, and I wish you success on your first assignment in November 2025, which is the governorship election of Anambra state.
“As the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, your nomination and confirmation are a testament to your capacity and the confidence reposed in you.
“This marks 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. We have consolidated and strengthened our democratic institutions, particularly our electoral system. To ensure that our democracy continues to flourish, the integrity of our electoral system must be beyond reproach.
“To maintain public trust in elections, electoral integrity must be protected; all aspects of the process, from registration to campaigning, the media access, voting, and counting, should be transparent, non-violent, and credible.
“Elections safeguard the people’s exclusive right to choose their leaders and shape their future. We must consistently improve our electoral process, addressing the challenges of yesterday and innovating for today and tomorrow.”
Speaking shortly after the ceremony, Amupitan said to State House Correspondents, “I’ve just taken the oath of allegiance and the oath as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission. I reaffirm my commitment to defend the Constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as they relate to the electoral system. Like the President said, I have been given a clear charge to ensure credible, fair, and free elections, and that I will ensure.”
Amupitan was approved by the Senate on October 16, 2025. He is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a Professor of Law at the University of Jos.
He is the first INEC chairman from Kogi, North Central, and succeeds Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who is the longest-serving INEC chief and was appointed in 2015.
