The newly sworn-in Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, ProfJoash Amupitan, has vowed to uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process, describing it as non-negotiable.

Prof Amupitan made this vow on Thursday, in Abuja during his inaugural meeting with directors, shortly after being sworn in by President Bola Tinubu,

He pledged to deliver free, fair and credible elections that would reflect the true will of Nigerians, saying, “It is with immense gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility that I stand before you today as your new Chairman. Our mandate is clear – to deliver free, fair and credible elections that reflect the will of the Nigerian people.

“The eyes of the nation are upon us, and it is our duty to rise to that occasion. I have just been briefed about some of the preparations. But as I informed the acting chairman, our preparation, no matter how good it may be, is only as good as the cooperation and support we receive from the stakeholders, including the politicians and the general public.

“So the eyes of Nigeria are upon us. Today, I am before you, and I’m emphasizing the need for us to work together in unity. There should be synergy and collaboration among our various units, as I have been informed. Credibility in our election is paramount, and we must ensure that every voter feels confident that their vote will count. Because that is a constitutional task.

“Let us restore the confidence of every voter that whenever there is an election, their vote will count, so that we can address this issue of voter apathy in our nation. Let us break down silos. I must stress that we should not compromise our values or processes, as that could have consequences. The integrity of our elections is not even something we should negotiate”, he added.

INEC: Integrity of our elections non-negotiable – Prof Amupitan