Lagos IPAC Urges New INEC Chairman Amupitan to Restore Public Confidence, Deepen Electoral Reforms

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Lagos State has congratulated Professor Joash Amupitan on his appointment as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a statement to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, IPAC Secretary and Lagos State Chairperson of the Action People’s Party (APP), Mrs. Abiola Adeyemi, praised the appointment and urged Prof. Amupitan to use his tenure to strengthen the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.

Adeyemi noted that widespread voter apathy stems from Nigerians’ loss of faith in the electoral system. She called on the new INEC chief to lead comprehensive reforms that ensure transparency and fairness in future elections.

“We expect Prof. Joash Amupitan to champion electoral reforms that make the process truly transparent and reflective of the people’s will,” she said. “His biggest challenge is restoring public trust, which has been severely eroded. Implementing radical transparency and giving legal force to electronic transmission of results from polling units will be key to credible elections.”

She also encouraged Amupitan to leverage technological innovations such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to eliminate electoral manipulation. “INEC must remain independent, free from political interference, and uphold fairness to rebuild confidence in the system,” Adeyemi added.

The IPAC official further urged the new INEC chairman to tackle vote buying and selling, emphasizing that only far-reaching reforms can make Nigerians participate freely and confidently in elections.

President Bola Tinubu appointed Prof. Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and professor of law, as INEC chairman on Thursday. His appointment, already approved by the National Council of State, follows the completion of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s two-term tenure, which began in November 2015.