BREAKING: National Assembly Lawyers Ask Senate to Disqualify Joash Amupitan as INEC Chairman

• Over 1,000 Nigerian lawyers under ALDRAP have petitioned the Senate to disqualify Prof. Joash Amupitan as INEC Chairman, alleging bias due to his previous role as APC legal counsel during the 2023 presidential election petition.

• The group warned that confirming him would breach constitutional provisions and vowed to take legal action if the nomination is upheld.

More than 1,000 Nigerian lawyers under the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) have called on the National Assembly to disqualify Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) from being confirmed as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), citing alleged conflict of interest and breach of constitutional provisions.

In a formal petition addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, through the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, the lawyers argued that Prof. Amupitan’s prior role as Legal Counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal disqualifies him from heading a supposedly independent electoral body.

The association said Amupitan’s nomination violates Section 5 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act and Section 19 of the ICPC Act, which prohibit public office holders from occupying positions where there is a likelihood of bias or personal interest.

“Prof. Joash Amupitan, as a former legal counsel to the APC at the 2023 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, is automatically disqualified from holding the position of INEC Chairman,” the letter stated.

ALDRAP reminded the Senate of a precedent set in 2021, when the Red Chamber rejected Lauretta Onochie’s nomination as INEC commissioner over her political ties to the ruling APC.

“It would be hypocritical and inconsistent for the Senate to ignore this same principle now,” the group said, urging lawmakers to return the President’s nomination letter without further deliberation.

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The association further noted that confirming Amupitan would erode public trust in INEC and contradict President Bola Tinubu’s pledge to strengthen democratic institutions.

“If the President insists on appointing a legal professional, there are over 100,000 Nigerian lawyers who are not members of any political party or have never represented one in court,” ALDRAP added.

The group, comprising lawyers serving as legislative consultants and drafters at the National Assembly, warned that if the Senate proceeds with Amupitan’s confirmation, it would file a legal action to challenge the decision.

ALDRAP emphasized that its mission is to promote professionalism, transparency, and good governance through public interest litigation and constitutional advocacy.

“Our democracy depends on the perception of fairness in institutions like INEC. Any compromise at this level would have lasting consequences for Nigeria’s electoral integrity,” the statement concluded.