The newly confirmed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has said he will review the use of university lecturers as Returning Officers in future elections.
His statement has received support from major political parties — the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) — who all described it as a step in the right direction to strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s elections.
Amupitan, a professor of law and former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Jos, was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday after a three-hour screening session. He replaced Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure recently ended after two terms.
During the screening, some senators raised concerns that many professors who served as Returning Officers in past elections were found guilty of misconduct.
Responding, Amupitan said he would not rush to make any decision but would carefully review the situation when he assumes office.
“We’ll review the entire process and make sure only competent and credible people handle election results,” he said.
Returning Officers are responsible for collating votes and declaring winners at the constituency level. INEC often appoints professors for this role, but their performance in recent elections has drawn criticism due to reports of bribery and result manipulation.
A notable case is that of Prof. Ignatius Uduk from the University of Uyo, who was sentenced to three years in prison for announcing false results during the 2019 elections in Akwa Ibom State.
Parties React
The APC’s Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said the review was a welcome idea.
“Being a professor doesn’t make you perfect,” he said. “If the INEC chairman believes some lecturers have failed to meet expectations, he should be supported to review their roles.”
The PDP’s National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, said that integrity — not titles — should determine who gets appointed.
“Being a professor doesn’t mean you can’t be corrupt. There are credible professors, but there are also many honest Nigerians outside academia who can do the job. The focus should be on integrity and independence, not titles,” he said.
He also advised that universities should recommend their own nominees, instead of politicians handpicking names, and called for civil society groups to be part of the process.
The NNPP’s National Publicity Secretary, Oladipo Johnson, agreed that reviewing the use of professors was important but urged the new INEC chairman to focus on fixing major issues like result transmission and logistics.
“He should prioritise transparency and ensure results from polling units are secure and untampered,” Johnson said.
Amupitan’s Screening Highlights
During the Senate session, Amupitan denied ever being part of President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 election legal team, saying:
“I was never part of Tinubu’s or any party’s legal team. The records are public and can be verified.”
He unveiled plans for major reforms in INEC, including:
—A full audit of the 2023 elections, especially logistics issues.
—Creation of an Ethics and Accountability Committee to handle complaints and discipline offenders.
—A whistleblower policy to expose corruption within INEC.
—-Support for an Electoral Offences Commission to prosecute election crimes.
He also promised to fix INEC’s poor logistics, including bad vehicles used during elections, and said drones might be deployed to monitor election materials in hard-to-reach areas.
On electronic result transmission, he explained that the Electoral Act does not clearly provide for real-time transmission and called for lawmakers to clarify the law.
“Trust and ethics will guide our work. Nigerians must believe again that their votes count,” he said.
After the session, the Senate unanimously confirmed his appointment.
Experts React
Debo Adeniran, Chairman of the Centre for Accountability and Open Leadership, said integrity should matter more than academic titles.
“It doesn’t have to be professors. What matters is appointing people with a clean record and integrity,” he said.
Okechukwu Nwaguma of the Rule of Law and Accountability Centre added that “credentials don’t equal character,” saying Amupitan’s real task is to rebuild trust in elections.
“The next election’s credibility will depend on leadership — doing what is right, not what is convenient,” he noted.
Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Chairman of the Transition Monitoring Group, also advised INEC to focus on honesty and capacity.
“We’ve seen professors abuse their positions. It’s not about certificates — it’s about integrity,” he said.
Prof. Amupitan’s confirmation comes at a crucial time as Nigeria prepares for upcoming off-cycle elections and begins early steps toward the 2027 general elections.
—Punch
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