INEC breaks silence on the fate of Amupitan

Zainab Abioye

The Independent National Electoral Commission has explained the absence of its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, from its headquarters in Abuja, saying he is absent on official duty.

The commission also clarified that Amupitan has the authority to delegate his responsibilities to any National Commissioner during his absence.

INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, provided clarification in response to questions raised by the Obidient Movement on the whereabouts of the electoral umpire.

“The President has an official position outside Abuja. He can delegate powers to any National Commissioner,” Eta-Messi said.

The development followed questions raised by the Obidient Movement after INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, appeared as Acting Chairperson during an engagement with an African Union pre-election assessment delegation at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

The movement, through its national coordinator, Dr Yunusa Tanko, had sought an explanation from INEC, saying there had been no public communication on Amupitan’s absence or the circumstances surrounding the delegation of his duties.

The controversy came amid increased public attention on the commission as preparations for the 2027 general election gather momentum.

According to reports citing INEC’s official social media platforms, Amupitan has undertaken official engagements outside Nigeria.

A post from the commission showed the INEC president in Ottawa, Canada, where he met with David J. Lopez, Google’s global head of civic responsibility. He was accompanied by INEC Director of Information and Communication Technologies, Dr. Lawrence Bayode.

The reported commitment was part of discussions on responsible artificial intelligence and electoral processes.

Amupitan has also been involved in discussions with technology and electoral organizations on emerging technologies, cybersecurity and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in strengthening electoral systems, according to reports of his overseas engagements.

The Obidient Movement had argued that greater transparency was needed, particularly due to INEC’s constitutional responsibility in conducting elections and the importance of public trust in the electoral process.

Tanko reportedly questioned why the commission had not earlier publicly explained Amupitan’s absence or announced the delegation of his functions.

However, INEC’s latest response indicates that Amupitan remains the effective chairman of the commission and that his absence from Abuja is related to official duties.

The Commission did not announce any changes in its leadership structure, while its spokesperson’s clarifications focused on the official role of the president and his authority to delegate powers to other national Commissioners.

INEC’s official website continues to identify Amupitan as the commission’s chairperson and lists the 2027 general elections in its election calendar.

The clarification is coming as INEC steps up preparations for the 2027 elections, with the calendar released by the commission setting the presidential and National Assembly elections on February 20, 2027, and the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections on March 6, 2027.

PLATFORM TIMES noted that the episode has once again placed the commission’s reporting and transparency on the activities of its senior officials under public scrutiny as the country approaches the 2027 election cycle.

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