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Former Buhari spokesman, Garba Shehu, praises INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan over Osun election, asks why he has not publicly celebrated the commission’s performance
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Nigerians reject Shehu’s glowing assessment, accusing him of sycophancy and challenging his claim that previous INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu delivered credible elections
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Critics question alleged delays in uploading more than 400 polling-unit results to IReV, insisting the Osun election should not yet be presented as an unqualified success
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Supporters of a cautious assessment say Amupitan’s real test will come with the 2027 general elections, not an off-cycle governorship poll
August 19, (THEWILL) — Former presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, has come under fire after praising the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, over the conduct of the Osun State governorship election, with Nigerians challenging his assessment of the electoral process and attacking his positive appraisal of former INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
Shehu, who served as spokesman to the late former President, Muhammadu Buhari, had in a post on X on Tuesday described the performance of INEC under Amupitan as a significant improvement in Nigeria’s electoral process.
But what began as an endorsement of the new INEC chairman quickly turned into a heated debate, as respondents accused Shehu of prematurely celebrating the commission and questioned whether the Osun election was as seamless and transparent as he portrayed it.
The former presidential spokesman had asked: “Where is Professor Amupitan?”, saying he was surprised that the INEC chairman had not appeared before television cameras or publicly taken credit for what Shehu considered an impressive electoral performance.
Shehu said he had initially been opposed to Amupitan’s nomination because of a 2020 legal brief attributed to the professor, in which he reportedly described violence in Nigeria as a “Muslim pogrom against Christians.”
“I don’t know him, and we never met. I have no reason to wish to meet him, either,” Shehu said.
According to him, the reported assertion had troubled him because violence in Nigeria has affected people across religious and linguistic lines.
“The violence affected and still affects followers of all religions and speakers of every language,” he said.
Shehu said that because of his initial concerns, he and others had assumed that Amupitan was not the right choice to lead INEC.
However, he said the events surrounding the Osun election had changed his perception.
“Now, look at what has just happened in Osun state. Under Amupitan’s leadership, the country has attained a transparent electoral process,” he said.
Shehu Praises Amupitan, Calls For Recognition
Shehu argued that the Osun election represented a notable achievement for the electoral commission, particularly about the electronic uploading of results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal, IReV.
He claimed that civil society organisations, the European Union, local and international observers had commended the process.
“Everyone – civil society, the EU, local and foreign observers are commending this standout performance, praising the exceptional skill and determination to improve the process as manifested by INEC’s seamless uploading of the governorship election results to its IReV,” he said.
But rather than celebrating the achievement publicly, Shehu said Amupitan had maintained a low profile.
“With all the loud acclaim that followed, however, I have been asking myself, where is the captain of the ship, Professor Amupitan? He hasn’t picked the microphone, 48 hours hence, or appeared before the TV cameras to proudly show off the success. Where is he?” he asked.
Shehu contrasted the INEC chairman’s restraint with what he described as the tendency of Nigerian public officials to loudly proclaim achievements.
“We are a country of wilful behaviour, chest-beating public officials who are proudly and aggressively proclaiming success without achieving half of what we are talking about here,” he said.
He described Amupitan’s apparent silence as an unusual demonstration of humility.
“We are not used to seeing this kind of humility, patience, and restraint. Isn’t it fair that the man should come out of his shell and dance to the drums in celebration?” Shehu asked.
Nigerians Reject ‘Premature Celebration’
Shehu’s praise, however, drew a wave of critical reactions, with several respondents warning against declaring the Osun election an unqualified success.
One respondent, Bello, argued that Amupitan’s decision to remain low-key could be deliberate, suggesting that the INEC chairman understood that the Osun poll was not the ultimate test of his leadership.
“There is absolutely no need to celebrate. Prof knows that hence he’s keeping a low-key spirit,” Bello wrote.
According to him, the real challenge for Amupitan would be the 2027 general elections, when INEC would face a much larger and more complex electoral operation.
“The greater challenges that will test his managerial acumen remain the General Elections and not an off-cycle election,” he said.
Bello added that Amupitan still needed to build public confidence in INEC before the country entered the 2027 electoral cycle.
Anthony was more scathing, dismissing Shehu’s intervention as “sycophancy” and questioning why Nigerians should celebrate public officials for simply carrying out their statutory responsibilities.
“This is more of sycophancy than being rational,” he said.
He argued that conducting an election should not be treated as a favour to Nigerians or as an extraordinary achievement by public officials entrusted with managing the electoral process.
“Why do Nigerians like to glorify shit? Why do we see someone in government doing what he/she is paid to do as doing us a favour?” he asked.
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Shehu’s Dramatic Change Of Position
Beyond the controversy over IReV and Yakubu, Shehu’s intervention is significant because of the dramatic change in his own position on Amupitan.
He acknowledged that he had initially viewed the professor’s nomination with suspicion.
His concern centred on the 2020 legal brief attributed to Amupitan, which Shehu said portrayed violence in Nigeria as a religious pogrom against Christians.
For Shehu, the position was incompatible with the responsibility of an electoral umpire who must be seen as impartial by Nigerians of every religious, ethnic and linguistic background.
But the former presidential spokesman now appears to be reassessing that judgment based on Amupitan’s handling of the Osun election.
He argues that performance in office should ultimately matter more than assumptions made before an appointee takes up a sensitive public position.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
