PDP Warns Senate Against Rubber-Stamping Tinubu’s INEC Nominee

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Nigerian Senate to exercise utmost diligence in screening President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s nominee for Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), warning that the nation’s democracy is “on trial.”

Addressing journalists at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, urged senators to put national interest above partisan loyalty, insisting that the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process depends on the independence of INEC.

President Tinubu recently nominated Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure as INEC Chairman expired in October 2025. The National Council of State has endorsed Amupitan’s nomination, paving the way for Senate confirmation.

Ologunagba warned the upper chamber not to act as a “rubber stamp,” stressing that the Senate must protect democracy by ensuring only a credible and impartial person leads INEC.

> “If the nominee is confirmed, he must commit to rebuilding public confidence and strengthening the integrity of our elections,” he said.


The PDP spokesman reminded lawmakers that while the president has the constitutional right to nominate, the Senate carries the burden of confirming such appointments in the interest of Nigerians.

> “The Senate is the last line of defence for democracy,” he added. “That duty must not be trivialised.”


Ologunagba emphasised that strong democratic institutions, not individuals, sustain good governance.

> “When institutions function independently, personalities become secondary,” he noted. “That was our tradition in government, and we expect it to continue.”


On the issue of defections from the PDP, Ologunagba dismissed them as politically motivated, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of using inducements and intimidation to lure opposition members.

> “These defections are not based on ideology or conviction but on financial inducements,” he claimed.


He maintained that no amount of defection could sway voters in 2027, saying Nigerians would judge the APC by its record of insecurity, economic hardship, and poor governance.

> “The real decamping Nigerians want is from hunger and poverty and that will happen in 2027,” he declared.

Ologunagba concluded by reaffirming the PDP’s readiness for its upcoming national convention, saying the party remains united and focused.

> “The APC is jittery because our unity threatens them. But Nigerians are with us and in 2027, we shall see these APC people no more,” he said confidently.