With the Senate’s confirmation of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria once again stands at the threshold of another test of faith in her democracy. Every change of guard at INEC brings renewed hope and renewed anxiety because elections in Nigeria remain less a celebration of democracy and more a battle for its survival.
The confirmation of Professor Amupitan on Thursday, October 16, 2025, followed due process and parliamentary scrutiny. Lawmakers questioned his professional integrity, his neutrality, and his potential conflicts of interest. He firmly denied any involvement in the 2023 presidential election tribunal and pledged his loyalty to the principle of institutional independence. Those are good words. But Nigerians have heard good words before, what they now demand are good actions.
The Weight of Expectation
The office of the INEC Chairman is not a ceremonial title. It is a moral crucible; a position that tests courage, conscience, and conviction. The person who occupies that chair carries the collective trust of over 200 million citizens who have long endured the pain of manipulated ballots, stolen mandates, and judicially awarded victories.
The credibility of Nigeria’s democracy is, to a large extent, the credibility of its elections. And the credibility of those elections depends squarely on the courage and integrity of the person leading INEC. That is the burden now resting on Professor Amupitan’s shoulders.
He steps into an office that has, over time, lost much of its moral capital. The 2023 elections left deep scars, with widespread allegations of compromised processes, technical manipulation, and political interference. Public confidence in INEC hit a disturbing low. Restoring that trust will require more than technical competence; it will demand personal integrity and institutional courage.
INEC Must Be Independent in Fact, Not in Name
Over the years, successive INEC chairmen have sworn to defend the Commission’s independence, only to find themselves entangled in the web of executive influence and political pressure. Nigerians are weary of promises that fade at the first sign of power play.
Professor Amupitan must therefore draw a clear line between independence and submission. INEC cannot continue to operate as an appendage of the ruling party or as a tool in the hands of incumbents desperate to perpetuate themselves in power. The Commission must serve no political godfather, fear no governor, and bow to no presidency. Its only allegiance must be to the Nigerian Constitution and the sovereign will of the electorate.
To achieve this, Amupitan must professionalize INEC’s internal systems, insulate its technology from manipulation, and ensure that staff postings and election logistics are free from political influence. The Commission must be transparent, accountable, and accessible to both political parties and civil society.
A Moment of Redemption
Amupitan’s confirmation presents an opportunity; not just for him, but for Nigeria to reclaim the soul of its democracy. This is the moment to rebuild confidence in the ballot box as the true arbiter of leadership. The new INEC boss must understand that neutrality is not passivity; it is active fairness. It means standing firm even when powerful interests seek to bend the rules.
History will not remember Professor Amupitan for how smoothly his confirmation sailed through the Senate. It will remember him for whether, under his watch, the vote of every Nigerian truly began to count.
Our Stand
The Senate has fulfilled its constitutional role. The ball is now firmly in Professor Amupitan’s court. Nigerians will judge him not by his words at the screening, but by the integrity of the elections he conducts and the courage he shows in defending the sanctity of the vote.
INEC’s independence has been too often proclaimed and too seldom practiced. The new Chairman must change that narrative. The time for excuses is over.
The burden of national trust now rests on his shoulders — and it is a heavy one.
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