The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, is away from Abuja performing official duties abroad.
The electoral body gave this response after the Obidient Movement raised public questions when National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, stepped in as Acting Chairman during a meeting with African Union representatives at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The group, through its National Coordinator, Dr Yunusa Tanko, complained that no public announcement explained why or when Amupitan transferred his work to Gumus.
Tanko asked the commission to reveal the Chairman’s exact location, schedule, and why he left his seat, warning that election managers must not work in secret as preparations for the 2027 general elections continue.
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Responding to the group, INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi, explained that the chairman holds full legal power to assign duties to any National Commissioner while away. This was obtained in a PUNCH report on Wednesday.
“The Chairman is on an official assignment outside Abuja. He can delegate powers to any National Commissioner,” Eta-Messi said.
International meetings in Canada
Official social media records from the commission’s X and Facebook pages confirm that Chairman Amupitan is currently traveling abroad for official election assignments.
A message by the commission showed the Chairman in Ottawa, Canada, where he met with David J. Lopez, the Global Lead for Civic Responsibility at Google.
He attended the meeting alongside Dr. Lawrence Bayode, who serves as INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, on the sidelines of the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections.
Before that meeting, Amupitan held strategic partnership discussions on Thursday with senior leaders from Microsoft and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. He met with Ethan Chumley, Emerging Tech and Cyber Lead, and Ariana Molina, Programme Manager.
Their discussions focused on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and new technologies to protect election security. Amupitan also delivered a speech at the AI Conference, sharing how Nigeria uses artificial intelligence to manage elections.
PUNCH further reported that a senior official at INEC who spoke without giving his name dismissed the complaints made by the Obidient Movement.
The official explained that the Chairman is not required to stay inside Abuja to perform his official leadership duties.
The electoral body maintains that its leadership structure remains intact while foreign engagements continue.
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