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Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The National Youth Leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ambassador Auwal Muhammad Musa, has challenged the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), to prove his professed commitment to transparency and integrity through concrete and measurable actions.
In an open letter, Musa congratulated the INEC chairman on his appointment but urged him to ensure that his words are matched by visible reforms that will restore public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Musa said: “Credibility in words must be proven through visible action. Nigerians, particularly the youth, are watching closely to see if Prof. Amupitan will break away from a long tradition of unfulfilled promises and compromised elections.”He commended Amupitan’s public declaration that the integrity of elections is “non-negotiable,” but stressed that such assurances must translate into operational changes that guarantee free, fair, and transparent polls.
“Nigerians have heard similar pledges from previous INEC chairmen. What they demand now is not rhetoric but real change that ends delayed results, compromised officials, and tampered election technologies,” Musa said.
He called on INEC to enforce strict accountability among its officials, ensure open and transparent procurement processes, and publish logistics details to eliminate suspicion of manipulation.
Musa described the forthcoming Anambra governorship election as “the first real test” of Prof. Amupitan’s leadership, saying the exercise will determine whether the new INEC administration can deliver on its promises of credibility.
According to him, INEC must take proactive measures to demonstrate readiness, including transparent updates on the movement of election materials, effective coordination with security agencies, publication of polling officials’ deployment details, full functionality of the BVAS and IReV systems, and unrestricted access for accredited observers and party agents.
“The Anambra election is not just another poll, it is a test of truth and integrity. Its credibility will define how Nigerians perceive INEC under your leadership,” Musa wrote.
Expressing concern about public skepticism over INEC’s independence, he urged Prof. Amupitan to prove the commission’s autonomy by publishing details of its engagements with political actors and by enforcing disciplinary measures against compromised officials.
Musa also stressed the importance of youth inclusion, noting that young people constitute more than 60 percent of registered voters.
He advised INEC to establish youth liaison offices across the country, run digital voter education campaigns, and publish simplified guides explaining how votes are processed, transmitted, and protected.
“If these steps are ignored, INEC’s call for youth participation will remain hollow, and voter apathy will deepen,” he warned.
To promote transparency, the NNPP Youth Leader proposed that INEC adopt measurable performance indicators for election logistics, result transmission, and complaints resolution.
He also called for the publication of an after-action report following the Anambra election and the creation of an independent oversight committee involving civil society, youth, and opposition representatives.
“Integrity must be demonstrated, not declared. Without measurable action, it remains an empty slogan,” he declared.
Reaffirming NNPP’s role as a democratic watchdog, Musa said the party would continue to monitor INEC’s activities closely, adding that the opposition’s duty is “not to applaud every promise but to question and verify.”
He concluded by urging the INEC chairman to seize the opportunity presented by the Anambra election to rebuild public trust in the electoral system.
“Your words have inspired hope, but hope without evidence will not heal Nigeria’s democratic wounds. The youth are watching, the opposition is watching, and the entire nation is watching,” Musa wrote.
