President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday officially wrote a letter to the Senate, seeking the confirmation of Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, read the request of Tinubu on the floor of the chamber during plenary on Tuesday.
Akpabio also read other communications from the President regarding appointments that require legislative approval.
According to the letter, the nomination is in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, which mandates Senate confirmation for such appointments.
The request has been referred to the committee of the whole for further legislative consideration.
Recall that last Thursday, the Tinubu presented Amupitan’s name as his preferred nominee to fill the leadership vacancy at the electoral commission.
The Council of State unanimously approved the nomination of Amupitan, as the next INEC Chairman, following the exit of Mahmood Yakubu.
The President told the council that Amupitan, an indigene of Kogi state in the north-central geopolitical zone, is the first person from the state to be nominated for the role of INEC chairman.
According to a statement by the presidential spokesman, Tinubu described the nominee as an “apolitical” figure.
Amupitan, 58, is a professor of law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau state, where he also serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (administration).
