The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified the whereabouts of its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, following questions from the Obidient Movement over his absence from the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The commission said Amupitan is currently outside Abuja on official duties and remains in charge of his responsibilities, which he can delegate to any National Commissioner when necessary.
INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi, gave the clarification while responding to enquiries about the chairman’s absence.
“The Chairman is on an official assignment outside Abuja. He can delegate powers to any National Commissioner,” Eta-Messi said.
The clarification followed concerns raised by the Obidient Movement after National Commissioner Prof. Rhoda Gumus appeared as Acting Chairman during an engagement between INEC and a delegation from the African Union in Abuja.
Through its National Coordinator, Dr Yunusa Tanko, the movement had asked the electoral commission to explain why there had been no public announcement concerning Amupitan’s absence or the delegation of his duties.
The group also sought clarification on whether the INEC chairman had travelled outside Nigeria and, if so, details of the official engagements responsible for his absence.
“As far as the Obidient Movement and Nigerians are concerned, there was no official communication of Professor Amupitan’s handover to anyone, either in acting or substantive capacity,” the movement said.
It added that the absence raised questions about “the Chairman’s current location, official schedule and the circumstances surrounding his absence.”
Tanko said greater transparency was necessary because of INEC’s constitutional responsibility for conducting elections and the importance of public confidence in the commission’s leadership as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.
“As Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections, the INEC Chairman cannot operate in secrecy,” he said.
However, information from INEC’s official social media platforms indicates that Amupitan has been engaged in official activities outside the country.
One of the commission’s posts showed the chairman in Ottawa, Canada, where he met Google Global Lead for Civic Responsibility, David J. Lopez. He was accompanied by INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections, where Amupitan also spoke about Nigeria’s experience with the use of artificial intelligence in electoral administration.
Before that engagement, the INEC chairman held meetings with senior officials of Microsoft and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.
During the meetings, Amupitan discussed emerging technologies, cybersecurity and responsible artificial intelligence, particularly their potential role in strengthening the security and resilience of electoral processes.
A senior INEC official also dismissed concerns over the chairman’s absence, arguing that there was no requirement for Amupitan to remain physically present at the commission’s headquarters while carrying out official duties elsewhere.
“It is a non-issue. Must he be in Abuja to perform his duties? So, if I were to go on leave, can’t I hand over to someone until I return?” the official said.
According to the official, Amupitan was attending a conference, where he delivered an address, while also holding other official meetings.
“The Chairman is attending a conference and even gave an address at the conference. He had some meetings too. So what is the issue? It’s just noise,” the official added.
The commission has also recently come under questions over its engagement of university lecturers as electoral officials after more than 600 academics from public universities in Northern Nigeria publicly declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
INEC had said it would examine concerns about lecturers who openly take partisan positions despite the commission’s practice of engaging academics for sensitive election duties, including returning and collation assignments.
