• ADC urges Amupitan to prioritise Nigerians over political loyalty
• You’ll be judged by courage to act, not credentials, says CUPP
• Obi wants INEC to verify candidates’ certificates ahead of 2027 elections
• APC pledges cooperation as Kogi, Karimi applaud Tinubu on decision
• Court didn’t order arrest of ex-INEC chair Mahmoud, says Action Alliance

Opposition parties have urged the newly appointed chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Joash Ojo Amupitan, to prioritise public trust over political loyalty and restore confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system, which was severely damaged by controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections.

National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement yesterday, said the new chairman “must understand that his loyalty is with the Nigerian people, not the government.”

Abdullahi said the party was prepared to give Ojo the benefit of the doubt, citing his track record, but urged him to use the opportunity to build a legacy.

“He now has the chance to make a good name for himself that his children will be proud of, or to soil his record and end up with ignominy. He should also bear in mind that his tenure will ordinarily last beyond one electoral cycle, and he must therefore look beyond the interest of those who appointed him,” Abdullahi said.

Similarly, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) asked the newly appointed INEC Chairman to urgently rebuild public trust in the commission, saying its credibility has been severely damaged by past electoral irregularities.

CUPP’s National Secretary, Peter Ameh, said the new INEC boss “comes to the job with a record of integrity and academic distinction that can help reposition the commission as a truly independent electoral umpire.”

According to him, “Prof Amupitan’s scholarly depth in corporate governance, evidence law, and privatisation uniquely equips him to navigate the complex terrain of electoral administration. However, Nigerians will judge him not by his credentials, but by his courage to act.”

Ameh noted that Amupitan’s appointment comes “against a grim tableau of public distrust,” stemming from the controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections.

“What was projected as Nigeria’s most technologically advanced election,” he said, “ended as one of the most disappointing in recent history.”

The coalition recalled that the 2023 polls, built on the promise of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), collapsed into a spectacle of glitches and disillusionment. Technical failures, it said, rendered BVAS machines inoperable across several polling units, disenfranchising many voters, especially in opposition strongholds.

CUPP lamented that fewer than 25 per cent of polling unit results were uploaded to IReV in real time, a lapse that fuelled allegations of manipulation and opacity. Domestic and international observers, it said, documented cases of vote buying, over-voting, and result falsification, while civic groups accused the commission of poor planning and communication.

The coalition urged Amupitan to prioritise technological integrity, transparency, and stakeholder collaboration.

“INEC must immediately begin a rigorous audit and revalidation of BVAS and IReV systems ahead of off-cycle elections,” Ameh advised. “Procurement must be transparent, logistics efficient, and engagement with political parties and civil society continuous.”

CUPP also called on him to revisit the Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais Electoral Reform Report (2008), which identified five key causes of Nigeria’s electoral dysfunction: state interference, weak institutions, toxic political culture, legal loopholes, and compromised autonomy.

“Amupitan has the pedigree to revive this failing institution,” Ameh said. “He must be guided by the omoluabi ethos: character, courage, and conscience. Only then can INEC truly belong to Nigerians, not to any party or president.”

Obi urges INEC to verify candidates’ certificates ahead of 2027 elections
ALSO, Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission and other relevant agencies to verify and authenticate the academic and professional certificates of all political candidates before the 2027 general elections.

In a statement posted on X yesterday, titled “Certificate Integrity and the Future of Nigerian Leadership,” Obi said the credibility of Nigeria’s democracy depends on truth and transparency in leadership selection.

He commended the resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over discrepancies in his academic records, describing it as “a decent and honourable step.” He also recalled that former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, resigned under similar circumstances during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

“These instances remind us that such matters are not trivial; they constitute serious criminal offences,” Obi said. He urged INEC to begin immediate verification of all certificates submitted by candidates, from the presidency down to local government councillors, to ensure integrity in the 2027 elections.

“It is appalling that our electoral body carries out little or no due diligence in confirming certificates submitted by candidates. Continuous discrepancies, false declarations, and forged credentials undermine the credibility of our democracy,” he stated.

The former Anambra State governor emphasised that truth, transparency, and accountability must underpin Nigeria’s leadership, noting that only then can public service be anchored on honour rather than deceit.

Obi also called for a comprehensive national review of qualification and background checks for all public office holders, citing Ghana as an example of a country that thoroughly verifies candidates’ educational claims before elections.

“INEC has enough time to investigate past complaints about various forms of forgery and false claims. Every incumbent and aspiring candidate must submit all academic certificates immediately for verification and public accessibility,” he added.

APC pledges cooperation as Kogi, Karimi applaud Tinubu on decision
MEANWHILE the All Progressives Congress (APC) has pledged its readiness to work with Amupitan. APC’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Meseko, described Amupitan as a perfect choice by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“I can tell you that anybody announced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the national chairman of INEC, based on the powers conferred on him by the Constitution, is welcomed by the party,” Meseko said. “We have confidence in him and have no reason to oppose that decision.” He added that the ruling party would cooperate fully with the new INEC boss in line with the law.

“We welcome him and assure him that the APC will work with him within the ambit of the law. We wish him well,” Meseko said. This came as the senator representing Kogi West, Steve Karimi, thanked President Bola Tinubu for appointing the new INEC boss.

Amupitan, who is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, Plateau State, was nominated by the President and approved by the National Council of State to succeed Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who served two terms spanning ten years.

In a statement issued yesterday by his Media Officer, Busayo Tosin, Karimi, who chairs the Senate Committee on Services, described the appointment as a well-considered choice, noting that President Tinubu had selected “one of Nigeria’s finest scholars, most rigorous legal inquisitors, experienced administrators and non-partisan patriots.”

“I feel personally gratified that Mr President has looked in the direction of my senatorial district for the appointment of an intellectual of astounding repute, a man of distinction and integrity, for the post of helmsman of the nation’s electoral ombudsman,” he said.

Karimi described Amupitan as “a pan-Nigerian to the core,” noting that although he hails from the Okun-Yoruba area of Kogi West, he has spent most of his life in Plateau State, from his undergraduate days to his doctoral studies and academic career spanning over four decades.

“Not forgetting that he underwent his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Bauchi State in Nigeria’s North-East,” he added, describing the new INEC chairman as a thoroughbred “Arewa son.”

The lawmaker also conveyed the gratitude of the people of Kogi West to the President for the trust reposed in one of their own. He expressed confidence that Amupitan’s record of excellence would enable him to lead INEC to deliver elections that meet the highest standards of transparency, credibility, and professionalism.

In the same vein, the Kogi State government commended Tinubu for the appointment. In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, the government described the appointment as “a strong validation of President Tinubu’s commitment to excellence, merit, and national inclusiveness in the leadership of our democratic institutions.”

Fanwo noted that Amupitan’s distinguished career as a legal scholar, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and administrator demonstrates his capacity for impartiality, integrity, and intellectual depth, qualities he said were vital to strengthening Nigeria’s electoral system.

“On behalf of the Government and the good people of Kogi State, we assure Mr President and the entire nation that Prof Amupitan will uphold the confidence reposed in him and continue to bring honour to the state and to Nigeria through his dedication to credible and transparent elections,” the statement read.

The government congratulated Amupitan on what it described as a well-deserved national assignment and prayed for “divine wisdom, strength, and success” as he takes on his new responsibility.

Court didn’t order arrest of ex-INEC chair Mahmoud, says Action Alliance
RELATEDLY, the National Chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), Kenneth Udeze, has dismissed reports that a Federal High Court in Osogbo ordered the arrest and imprisonment of the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu.

In a statement issued yesterday, Udeze described the report as false and misleading, alleging it was the handiwork of impostors bent on creating confusion within the party.

Earlier reports had claimed that Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, ordered Yakubu’s arrest for allegedly disobeying a judgment in a case filed by an expelled party member, Adekunle Rufai-Omoaje, seeking to compel INEC to relist his faction’s names on its website.

Udeze, however, insisted that no such court order exists and urged Nigerians to disregard what he called a “purported judgment.” He also rejected what he described as a fraudulently obtained ruling from the same court, which allegedly recognised the Omoaje-led faction as the authentic leadership of the AA.

According to him, the question of the party’s legitimate leadership had already been resolved by multiple judgments of the trial court and the Court of Appeal, all in favour of the Udeze-led national executive.

“After losing several cases at the FCT High Court, the Federal High Court, and the Court of Appeal, all in favour of our leadership, Omoaje and his agents clandestinely ran to Osogbo to obtain a fraudulent judgment,” he said.

Udeze assured party members that the AA’s legal team had been directed to take all necessary steps to vacate the ruling and urged members to remain calm and law-abiding.