President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), appeared before the Senate on Thursday for his screening.
Amupitan entered the Senate Chamber at 12:50 p.m. after a motion by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), to suspend Order 12 and allow the nominee into the chamber.
The motion was seconded by the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South).
Before the screening commenced, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, informed lawmakers that Amupitan had been cleared by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) following vetting and fingerprinting.
Akpabio added that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force, through the Office of the Inspector-General of Police, had also cleared the nominee, confirming that he had no criminal record.
Amupitan is currently presenting his credentials and responding to questions from the senators.
Earlier, President Tinubu had, in a letter read on the Senate floor on Tuesday, requested Amupitan’s confirmation as the new INEC Chairman, in line with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The President urged the Senate to give the request expeditious consideration, attaching the nominee’s curriculum vitae for review.
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Senate President Akpabio subsequently referred the request to the Committee of the Whole for immediate legislative action.
