Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has urged the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s elections.

‎Administering the oath of office on Thursday in Abuja, President Tinubu tasked Prof. Amupitan to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system and strengthen the institutional capacity of the INEC.
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‎“It is important that our elections are free, fair, and credible. We must consistently improve our electoral process, addressing the challenges of yesterday and innovating for today and tomorrow.
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‎“To maintain public trust in Nigerian elections, electoral integrity must be protected. All aspects of the process, from registration to campaigning, voting, and counting, should be transparent, non-violent, and credible.”
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‎“No electoral system is flawless. But since elections are vital to a nation’s future, it is essential to continually strengthen electoral institutions, ensuring they are robust, resilient, and safeguarded against artificial setbacks,” he said.
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‎Tinubu emphasised aligning Nigeria’s electoral processes with international best practices.
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‎“I therefore charge you, Prof. Amupitan, to take on this important assignment to protect the integrity of our elections and strengthen INEC’s institutional capacity,” he added.

Speaking after the ceremony, Amupitan pledged to engage stakeholders to ensure free, fair, and credible elections across the country.
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‎“Like the President said, I was given a clear charge to ensure credible, fair, and free elections.”
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‎“Not just that I will ensure that that is done, I’m also going to engage all the stakeholders. Because no matter how you set the barometer and the level of success, you still need all the stakeholders to be able to succeed,” he said.
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‎Prof. Amupitan, a Professor of Law at the University of Jos and a senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) was nominated by President Tinubu and was subsequently screened and confirmed by the Nigerian Senate.

GIK/APA