INEC: CPPM commends Tinubu over Amupitan’s appointment

…rejects proposed Electoral Act amendment

Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM), a civil society and election observer organization, has congratulated the newly sworn in Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, on his confirmation by the Senate and assumption into office, commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the choice which it described as a round peg in a round hole. 

CPPM said this in a statement by its Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Ekujumi, copy of which was made available to newsmen in Lagos on Monday, expressing delight over appointment of Amupitan by President Tinubu as INEC chairman to oversee the nation’s democratic process for the next five years. 

The organization, while commending President Tinubu for what it described as the painstaking and diligent choice of a round peg in a round hole by the choice he made of the new INEC Chairman, Prof. Amupitan, said such move was a testimonial of his “resolve and commitment to enhancing our democracy through the conduct of credible, free, fair and transparent elections.” 

“We are delighted by the choice and confirmation of Prof Amupitan a distinguished lawyer and technocrat as INEC Chairman to oversee our democratic process for the next five years by the President Bola Tinubu administration. 

“We commend President Bola Tinubu for the painstaking and diligent choice of a round peg in a round hole by the choice of the new INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, which is a testimonial of President Tinubu’s resolve and commitment to enhancing our democracy through the conduct of credible, free, fair and transparent elections,” the group said. 

The group affirmed its confidence in Prof. Joash Amupitan’s capacity and capability to deliver on the constitutional mandate of INEC and even raise the bar far and above the laudable and indelible achievements of his predecessors.

CPPM charged the INEC chairman to learn and imbibe the qualities of his immediate predecessors, Profs Attahiru Jega and Mahmud Yakubu, who it said remained neutral, objective and professional in the conduct of INEC operations and activities, even in the face of barrage of attacks, name calling, abuses, arson attacks, campaign of blackmail and calumny by anti democratic elements.

The group admonished the new helmsman to ensure that the commission under his watch does not deviate from its constitutional mandate of being impartial and professional in the conduct of its activities, just as it further charged him to ensure that the electoral Umpire remain focused, disciplined, determined and committed to upholding the provisions of the law at all times.

CPPM also called on the new INEC chairman to familiarise himself with the workings of commission as quickly as possible and engage in constructive dialogue with stakeholders who must be accessed an open door policy of interactions for inclusivity, that was synonymous with INEC under the two previous leaderships.

The organization, however, used the occasion to express its rejection of one of the recently proposed amendments of the Electoral Act, especially with regards to electoral dispute, which states that the onus of proof for alleged electoral malpractice should be laid at the doorstep of INEC. 

CPPM argued that such reasoning was illogical, irrational and an assault on human sensibility, querying: “How can INEC which is empowered by law to conduct election, be the one to provide evidence for alleged electoral malpractice which a candidate has identified and not INEC and petitioned the courts on?”

According to it, if a candidate and party had identified election malpractice and petitioned the courts, the onus should be on who alleges, to provide proof and not the other way round.

CPPM, however, pledged, as a critical stakeholder in the Nigeria’s democratic process, of its commitment to working with all patriotic, positive thinking and responsible partners for the deepening of Nigeria’s democracy through interrogation, research, consultation, debates, dialogues and distillation of facts and realities, saying that “it would not be a party to the whipping up of sentiments and emotions to incite, confuse, mislead and derail our journey to progress as a nation.” 

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