By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Senate has confirmed Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The confirmation followed a voice vote conducted by Senate President Godswill Akpabio after Amupitan underwent thorough screening and responded to questions from lawmakers.
Earlier, Amupitan arrived at the National Assembly complex, exchanging pleasantries with Senators. He was accompanied by the Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, and other dignitaries.
At approximately 12:50 p.m., the nominee was ushered into the Senate chamber by the Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Abubakar Lado, and was already seated ahead of the proceedings.
Amupitan’s entry into the chamber was made possible after the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), moved that Order 12 be suspended to allow visitors into the chamber.
The motion was seconded by Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South).
Senate President Godswill Akpabio welcomed Amupitan, his family, and well-wishers, commending them for their presence.
Before the question-and-answer session began, Akpabio informed his colleagues that the nominee had been cleared by the office of the National Security Adviser following vetting.
According to Akpabio, “the office of the Department of State Services had also cleared him.”
He further noted that “the Office of the Inspector-General of Police, having done a fingerprint search on him, cleared him and said that he had no criminal records with the police.”
The screening commenced around 12:55 p.m., with Akpabio outlining the procedures for evaluating the nominee’s credentials.
Lawmakers focused their questions on Amupitan’s vision for conducting credible elections, strategies for institutional reforms within INEC, and plans to expand the use of technology in Nigeria’s electoral processes.
With the Senate’s confirmation, Amupitan is now tasked with overseeing preparations for upcoming off-cycle governorship elections and laying the groundwork for the 2027 general elections.
President Bola Tinubu had nominated Amupitan, a Professor of Law from the University of Jos, to succeed Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Jos, Amupitan is widely recognised for his expertise in constitutional and international law.