President Bola Tinubu has charged the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, to carry out his duties with integrity, dedication, and patriotism.
Tinubu gave the charge on Thursday at the State House, Abuja, shortly after administering the oath of office to the new electoral chief.
The presidents remarks were contained in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who said Tinubu underscored the importance of credible elections as the foundation of democracy.
“I, therefore, urge you, Professor Amupitan, as you take on this assignment, to protect the integrity of our elections and the electoral process, as well as the institutional capacity of INEC”, the president said.
“Your nomination and confirmation are a testament to your competence and the g confidence reposed in you. This marks the beginning of a challenging yet Lrewarding journey, and I trust you will approach your responsibilities with the highest level of integrity, dedication, and patriotism”.
President Tinubu commended the executive and legislative branches for working together to ensure Amupitans appointment, describing it as a reflection of confidence in his abilities and moral standing.
He also noted that Nigeria’s democracy has evolved through reforms, innovation, and lessons from past challenges, adding that the credibility of elections remains vital to sustaining public trust.
“Our democracy has come a long way. We have consolidated and strengthened our democratic institutions, particularly our electoral system. To ensure that our democracy continues to flourish, the integrity of our electoral process must be beyond reproach”, Tinubu stated.
The president acknowledged that no electoral system is perfect but stressed that transparency and credibility at every stage, from registration to voting and collation, are essential to public confidence in elections.
“Elections safeguard the peoples right to choose their leaders and shape their future. We must continue to improve our electoral process, addressing the challenges of yesterday and innovating for today and tomorrow”, he said.
Tinubu further tasked the new INEC chairman to prioritise transparency, inclusivity, and peaceful conduct in the forthcoming elections, particularly the Anambra State governorship election scheduled for November 2025.
