The Presidency says the incoming Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, needs courage, independence, and transparency to rebuild public trust in the electoral body, which it said had “wavered” in recent years.

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said this in a statement titled ‘INEC Chairman: Making a Difference — A Choice Unanimous’ on Friday in Abuja.

Dare stated that the appointment of Amupitan marked a defining moment for Nigeria’s democracy, stressing that it reflected a rare consensus across political and civic lines.

According to him, the new INEC chairman’s background in academia, corporate governance, and public service positioned him to steer the Commission through its most critical test, restoring credibility to Nigeria’s electoral process.

“In every democracy, the integrity of elections rests squarely on the shoulders of its electoral umpire,” Dare said.

The presidential aide further emphasized that reforming INEC and ensuring that elections genuinely reflected the will of Nigerians would require not just administrative efficiency, but also moral courage and a commitment to fairness.

He added that INEC should invest in digital voter education and civic awareness campaigns to rekindle young people’s belief in elections as instruments of genuine change.

The presidential spokesman equally stated that Tinubu’s choice of Amupitan demonstrated a resolve to strengthen democratic institutions and restore credibility to electoral governance.

He, therefore, called on the new INEC chairman to seize the moment and lead by example.

DAILY POST recalls that the National Council of State unanimously endorsed the Kogi-born professor of law on Thursday to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose decade-long tenure as INEC Chairman ended on Tuesday.

President Bola Tinubu, during the meeting held at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja, noted that his choice of Amupitan was based on the latter’s apolitical stance, integrity and impeccable record of service.

INEC: What Amupitan needs to restore electoral body’s credibility – Presidency