The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has declared that his administration as the chairman of the commission began with a clear mandate to deliver free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive elections that genuinely reflect the will of the Nigerian people.
Professor Amupitan declared this at the swearing-in ceremony of the new Resident Electoral Commissioner, Professor Adeniran Tella, in Abuja.
According to the INEC Chairman, the credibility of the electoral system remains the backbone of the nation’s democracy and must never be compromised.
He charged Professor Tella to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity, insisting that any deviation from the Commission’s values and procedures would not be tolerated.
The Chairman emphasised transparency, strict adherence to the Electoral Act, and unwavering commitment to combating all forms of electoral malpractice, including vote buying.
He urged Professor Tella, who was deployed to Oyo stated to inspire voter confidence, work collaboratively with staff and help make Oyo State a beacon of democratic excellence.
Responding to the Chairman’s charge, Professor Tella expressed deep appreciation for the swift and orderly manner in which the swearing-in was conducted and described the Commission’s current direction as one marked by total transformation, aligning with global best practices in election administration.
Drawing from his experience in public administration and electoral management, he pledged to uphold professionalism, fairness, and transparency in all electoral operations.
He outlined his commitment to ensuring a stronger result management system anchored on real-time transmission and public display of polling unit results.
He also highlighted the importance of continuous training and retraining of election officials, improved logistics coordination, enhanced security collaboration, and strengthened cybersecurity.
Professor Tella promised to maintain an open-door policy by engaging political parties, observers and the media at every critical stage of the electoral process.
He underscored the need for improved voter education and pre-election testing of BVAS, especially in hard-to-reach areas, and affirmed his resolve to conduct elections guided by the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and the will of the Nigerian people.
Part of the citation presented at the event highlighted Professor Tella’s outstanding academic and administrative pedigree. A professor of strategic management and public policy at Atiba University and the institution’s deputy dean of management sciences, he has earned recognition both locally and internationally. During his first tenure as REC in Oyo State, he oversaw the Ekiti off-cycle governorship election and the 2023 general elections, both widely commended for credibility and efficiency.
His contributions have taken him across the world, from completing a certificate in Strategic Execution at Harvard Business School to serving as a Visiting Scholar at Xavier University in Cincinnati and participating in election observation in Maryland in the United States.
He has presented research at global academic centres including Oxford, Hong Kong, Toronto and Quebec City, as well as the Netherlands, with publications spanning strategic management, sustainability, governance and public policy.