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INEC has explained that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, is outside Abuja on an official assignment and is authorised to delegate his responsibilities to any National Commissioner.
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The clarification followed questions from the Obidient Movement after the National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, performed the Chairman’s functions while receiving an African Union pre-election delegation in Abuja.
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Amupitan’s recent engagements include a global conference on responsible artificial intelligence and elections in Ottawa, Canada, as well as meetings with officials of Google, Microsoft and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.
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The development comes amid growing scrutiny of INEC as preparations for the 2027 general elections intensify, with political groups and other stakeholders closely watching the commission’s leadership and neutrality.
September 16, (THEWILL) – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has broken its silence over the absence of its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, from Abuja, saying he is currently away on official duty.
INEC’s Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi, clarified the situation following questions raised by the Obidient Movement over the Chairman’s whereabouts.
“The Chairman is on an official assignment outside Abuja. He can delegate powers to any National Commissioner”, Eta-Messi said.
The controversy followed the appearance of National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, as Acting Chairman during an engagement with the African Union Pre-Election and Needs Assessment Mission at INEC headquarters in Abuja.
The AU delegation, led by former Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, was in Nigeria to assess the country’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The development prompted the Obidient Movement, through its National Coordinator, Dr Yunusa Tanko, to demand an explanation from INEC on when Amupitan handed over his duties to Gumus and why he was absent.
Tanko said the movement was unaware of any public communication announcing the handover.
“As far as the Obidient Movement and Nigerians are concerned, there was no official communication of Professor Amupitan’s handover to anyone, either in acting or substantive capacity”, he stated.
The group asked INEC to disclose when Amupitan left Abuja, his location, the purpose of his absence and who authorised the assignment. It also sought clarification on whether the Chairman had travelled outside Nigeria and, if so, details of his official engagements.
Tanko said the questions were necessary because of INEC’s constitutional responsibility for conducting elections and the importance of public confidence in the commission ahead of the 2027 polls.
“As Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections, the INEC Chairman cannot operate in secrecy”, he said.
The movement further questioned whether Amupitan had met or was scheduled to meet President Bola Tinubu, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress or representatives of the ruling party. It also raised concerns over what it described as alleged political associations involving the INEC Chairman and called on the commission to demonstrate neutrality.
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However, checks on INEC’s official public engagements showed that Amupitan has been undertaking international activities connected with electoral administration and technology.
The Chairman was recently in Ottawa, Canada, where he participated in the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections.
At the conference, Amupitan shared Nigeria’s experience in institutionalising responsible artificial intelligence for electoral administration and discussed emerging technologies, cybersecurity and the need to strengthen the resilience of electoral processes. He also held strategic partnership meetings with senior officials of Microsoft and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, focusing on emerging technologies, cybersecurity and responsible AI in elections.
Amupitan subsequently met Google’s Global Lead for Civic Responsibility, David J. Lopez, alongside INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode.
A senior INEC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also dismissed the controversy surrounding the Chairman’s absence as unnecessary.
“It is a non-issue. Must he be in Abuja to perform his duties? So, if I were to go on leave, can’t I hand over to someone until I return?” the official asked.
The official said Amupitan was attending a conference, where he delivered an address and held meetings related to his official responsibilities.
“So what is the issue? It’s just noise”, the official added.
INEC’s official website identifies Amupitan as its Chairman and Gumus among its National Commissioners.
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