President Bola Tinubu has formally written to the Senate, seeking the confirmation of Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The request was read on the floor of the Senate by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, during plenary on Tuesday.
According to the letter, the nomination is in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, which mandates Senate confirmation for such appointments.
Professor Amupitan, 58, is a professor of law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau State, where he also serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (administration).
Senator Akpabio also read other communications from the president regarding appointments that require legislative approval.
The request has been referred to the committee of the whole for further legislative consideration.
Last Thursday, the President presented Amupitan’s name as his preferred nominee to fill the leadership vacancy at the electoral commission.
The Council of State unanimously approved his nomination as the next INEC Chairman, following the exit of Mahmood Yakubu.
President Tinubu told the council that Amupitan, an indigene of Kogi State in the north-central geopolitical zone, is the first person from the state to be nominated for the role of INEC chairman.