President Bola Tinubu will this afternoon swear in Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The inauguration ceremony is scheduled for 12:00 noon at the Council Chamber of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, according to senior government officials familiar with the President’s itinerary.
“It’s going to hold tomorrow (Thursday),” one official confirmed on Wednesday. Another source added, “It should be in the afternoon around 12:00 p.m. or 1 o’clock.”
The event is expected to draw key members of the Federal Executive Council, National Assembly leaders, legal luminaries, civil society representatives, and senior INEC officials.
Shortly after his swearing-in, Amupitan will preside over his first official meeting with INEC directors at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. The meeting, scheduled for 1:30 p.m., will be open to media coverage, according to a notice signed by INEC’s Deputy Director of Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah.
President Tinubu had earlier explained that Amupitan was chosen for his integrity, professionalism, and non-partisan disposition.
“President Tinubu told the council that Amupitan is the first person from Kogi, a North-Central state, nominated to occupy the position and is apolitical,” a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said.
Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Professor of Law at the University of Jos, was confirmed by the Senate on October 16, 2025, following the endorsement of the National Council of State.
His appointment follows the exit of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who vacated the position on October 7, after completing his tenure.
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