CSOs Urge Senate to Conduct Transparent, Rigorous Screening for INEC Nominee Amupitan

Civil society organizations, or CSOs, have urged the Senate to be open and honest in its selection process as reactions to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, as the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, continue.

According to reports, Yiaga Africa provided news reporters with the CSOs’ statement on Saturday.

The civic organizations pointed out that the Nigerian Senate’s responsibility to carry out a thorough, exacting, and open screening procedure is not replaced by Amupitan’s nomination, which was purportedly approved unanimously by the Council of State.

Women Rights Advancement Protection Alternative, WRAPA, International Press Center, IPC, the Kukah Center, Center for Media and Society, TAF Africa, the African Center for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), Nigeria Women Trust Fund, Accountability Lab, Nigeria, and YERP Naija Campaign have all signed the statement together.

According to the organizations, the Senate can only inspire public trust through a thorough, exacting, and transparent screening procedure.

Along with ensuring transparency, they also tasked the Senate with making sure the process is televised and incorporates input from citizens and civil society through petitions, memoranda, and confirmation hearing participation.

The CSOs have also demanded that the Senate conduct a thorough investigation into his qualifications, public records, electoral reform vision, INEC’s institutional strengthening, and ability to maintain electoral integrity and withstand political meddling.

“The nominee’s plans to address systemic issues, such as voter registration, result transmission, and enforcement of INEC’s rules and guidelines, should also be examined by the Senate.”

According to the Framework for Citizens Engagement in the INEC Appointment Process, which the undersigned civil society organizations previously submitted to the Senate, Nigerians anticipate that the Senate confirmation process will be accessible to the public.

The statement said, “This includes full disclosure of the nominee’s qualifications, history of public service, and ability to conduct elections without political interference.”

While acknowledging Amupitan’s academic and professional achievements, the groups stated that they have no objections to his nomination in principle. However, they pointed out that the current electoral situation in Nigeria necessitates an INEC that is fiercely independent, impervious to political manipulation, and steadfast in its commitment to holding credible elections.

They proposed that if the Senate confirms the next INEC chairman, he must exhibit moral courage, oppose political meddling, and operate more effectively when the organization is free from political influence.

“After Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s term ended, the Presidency announced that Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, would be the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC. We, the undersigned civil society organizations that work on democracy and elections in Nigeria and throughout Africa, acknowledge this announcement.

This follows discussions with the Council of State, who apparently approved his nomination unanimously. However, it is important to remember that the Nigerian Senate’s obligation to perform due diligence through a thorough and open screening procedure that fosters public trust is not superseded by the Council of State’s approval.

We restate our long-standing demand for an open, inclusive, and citizen-centered appointment process that aligns with the suggestions of important electoral reform interventions such as the Citizens Memorandum on Electoral Reforms, the Justice Uwais Report, and the Ken Nnamani Committee Report.

The statement went on to say, “Yiaga Africa and other Civil Society Organizations are urging the Senate to make sure Prof. Amupitan exhibits moral courage and resists political meddling.”