The confirmation took place on Thursday after a screening session on the floor of the upper legislative chamber in Abuja.
During his appearance before the lawmakers, Amupitan vowed to uphold the independence and integrity of the electoral body. He assured Nigerians of his commitment to restoring public trust in the electoral process through transparency, technology-driven reforms, and credible elections.
“I am determined to ensure that INEC remains truly independent and impartial,” he told the Senate Committee during the screening. “Our elections must be credible, transparent, and free from undue influence. Nigerians deserve an electoral system they can trust.”
His confirmation followed weeks of public scrutiny and calls from civil society groups urging the National Assembly to approve only a non-partisan and competent individual to lead the commission ahead of future elections.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio congratulated Amupitan and urged him to perform his duties with integrity and fairness, stressing that the credibility of Nigeria’s democracy rests largely on the performance of the electoral umpire.
Amupitan succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who had served as INEC Chairman since 2015.
