Amupitan pledges to audit 2023 election logistics, ensure transparency

The new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, on Thursday, announced plans to conduct a comprehensive audit of the commission, with a particular focus on logistics used during the 2023 general elections.

Amupitan said the audit would help identify the challenges faced by the electoral body and develop practical solutions in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

Speaking during his screening by the Senate Committee of the Whole, the Professor of law outlined a far-reaching reform agenda that includes the establishment of an internal ethics committee, the introduction of a whistleblower policy, strict enforcement of accountability, and the deployment of technology — including drones — to strengthen election logistics and security.

Quoting a ruling of the Supreme Court, Amupitan noted that INEC’s Results Viewing Portal was not part of the official results collation system of the commission, adding that this fact was not clearly communicated to Nigerians before the 2023 general elections.

Amupitan stressed that if confirmed as the next INEC chairman, trust and ethical conduct would be the cornerstone of his leadership.

“I think that trust is a major concern. We will work out an internal mechanism to try the behaviour of humans,” he said.

“I’m taking this position on trust, and my people must also appreciate that they hold their positions on trust. We will set up an ethical committee to review what has happened in the past because complaints have been made, yet no action has been taken. We will pursue every complaint and follow through,” he added.

Amupitan also disclosed plans to work with the National Assembly on the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission to ensure proper investigation and prosecution of electoral crimes.

He noted that INEC currently lacks the institutional capacity for investigation and prosecution of electoral offences, and plans to introduce a whistleblowing policy.

“We will collaborate with the National Assembly because legislative intervention is necessary for the creation of an electoral offences commission that can investigate cases, even through forensic means. We will also introduce a whistleblowing policy to expose such practices,” he said.

On election security, the INEC boss pledged to adopt innovative measures to ensure that no eligible voter is disenfranchised, even in hard-to-reach areas.

“Security is a major challenge. We will work with the security committee to strengthen those areas. We will invest in logistics to ensure we reach every part of Nigeria — even if we need to use drones. No voter will be left behind; that will be our policy,” he stated.

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Amupitan further emphasised the importance of voter and civic education in entrenching democratic values.

“There’s going to be voter and civic education. We will build the capacity of all election stakeholders and embark on aggressive civic enlightenment,” he said.

Addressing the contentious issue of real-time transmission of results, Amupitan said legislative clarification was needed to resolve existing ambiguities in the Electoral Act.

“On the issue of real-time transmission, the Electoral Act has not been concluded. I will make my input where necessary to ensure the matter is properly addressed,” he assured.

The INEC chairman also pledged to streamline election timelines and procedures to enhance transparency and credibility.

“The issue of the timeline will be streamlined to remove ambiguities. We will ensure elections are credible so that losers can congratulate winners without dispute. We will also prioritise the security of election materials,” he stated.

Amupitan further vowed to enforce strict transparency in financial management within the commission.

“This parliament has sufficient laws on procurement and public fund management, and they will be enforced strictly to ensure funds are utilised for their intended purposes. We will also save costs where possible,” he said.