By Lekan Sowande, Abuja.
The lawmaker representing Bayelsa West in the Nigerian Senate and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member, Senator Seriake Dickson, has expressed strong support for the nomination of Professor Joash Amupitan, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
President Bola Tinubu, earlier last week, formally wrote to the Senate, seeking the confirmation of Professor Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Electoral Commission following the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
Speaking with newsmen in Abuja after the Plenary, Senator Dickson, who was also the former governor of Bayelsa State, said President Tinubu had made a very good choice and he will fully support the confirmation of his appointment anytime the Senate screens him.
“I will be casting my vote, I will be supporting the nomination. And as a member of the Electoral Committee, and also a member of the Senate, I will work with colleagues to ensure that the electoral reforms we are championing see the light of day, and that Professor Amupitan is confirmed as Chairman of INEC.
“We expect him, as a professor of law and a senior advocate of Nigeria, the first senior advocate to be so nominated, to understand his place in history.”
Read Also: President Tinubu Seeks Senate Confirmation of INEC Chairman
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate will today, Thursday, 16 October screen Professor Amupitan for the position of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The announcement was contained in a circular issued on Wednesday by the Director of Information for the Senate, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah.
The development comes barely 24 hours after President Tinubu’s letter seeking the speedy confirmation of Professor Amupitan, which was read on the Senate floor by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.
The screening is expected to be closely watched nationwide, as it will set the tone for electoral reforms and test the administration’s commitment to credible polls ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Fifty-eight year old, Professor Amupitan, is a professor of law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau state, where he also serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (administration).
Read also: Group Urges Unity, Calls for Support for New INEC Chairman