The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has urged the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), to prioritise restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process by ensuring transparency, integrity, and fairness in elections. In a statement issued on Sunday by HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the civil…
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Council of State Approves Prof. Amupitan (SAN) as New INEC Chairman.

The National Council of State on Thursday approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

President Bola Tinubu presented Amupitan’s name to the council during its meeting at the State House, Abuja, following the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served from 2015 to October 2025.

In a statement by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu described Amupitan as an apolitical nominee and the first person from Kogi State in Nigeria’s North-Central region to be nominated for the position.

Council members unanimously endorsed the nomination, with Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo describing the nominee as a man of “proven integrity.”

Following the council’s approval, the President will transmit Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation in accordance with constitutional provisions.

Amupitan, 58, hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. A Professor of Law at the University of Jos and an alumnus of the same institution, he specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law.

He was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in September 2014 and has authored several works on corporate and commercial law.

If confirmed, Amupitan will succeed Yakubu as Nigeria’s chief electoral umpire, overseeing the nation’s electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Personality, Not Party, Will Decide 2027 Elections – Prof Ahmad

Professor Ahmad has said that the 2027 general elections will not be decided by party loyalty but by the strength of individual personalities.

On the State of the PDP

Speaking on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he emphasized that the party remains strong despite past setbacks:

“We are still in PDP. We are not planning to leave. The party may rise and fall, but right now PDP is rising. We are preparing for our convention in Ibadan, and we will move forward.”

When asked about governors who left the party, Ahmad insisted:

“Governors don’t make parties; parties make governors. People make parties, not individuals.”

On Court Cases After Elections

Addressing concerns that the PDP failed to challenge election results in 2019 and 2023, he clarified that the party did, in fact, go to court:

“In 2023, several local governments, including mine, went to court. I personally went to court. Anyone claiming PDP didn’t go to court is not telling the truth.”

He recalled irregularities during collation in his local government, saying results were altered but not announced at the collation center because officials feared public backlash.

On Bukola Saraki and APC Rumors

Responding to claims that former Senate President Bukola Saraki was aligning with the APC, Ahmad dismissed the reports:

“These are fantastic lies. Saraki has invested his time and energy in rebuilding PDP. If he had anything to do with Tinubu or APC, PDP would have collapsed by now. The ADC narrative was just a flash in the pan.”


He added that PDP remains open to reconciliation with other groups:

“PDP has a large heart. Our friends in ADC or elsewhere are welcome. Let’s work together to rescue this state and the country from APC.”


On 2027 Elections

Ahmad predicted that Nigerians will prioritize individual credibility over party lines in 2027:

“People will look at candidates and say, ‘You are good, but not in my party, yet I will vote for you.’ Or, ‘You are in my party, but you are not good, so I won’t vote for you.’ Party loyalty will not decide 2027—it will be about personality.”


On Electoral Reforms and Tinubu’s Legacy

Ahmad stressed the need for credible elections to restore faith in democracy. He urged President Tinubu to enshrine Immediate Result Electronic Filing (IREF) into the constitution:

“From the polling unit, results should be uploaded directly to INEC’s portal. That alone will stop manipulation. Forget long lists of amendments—just constitutionalize IREF, and Nigeria’s democracy will change forever.”


He warned that without credible elections, democracy in Nigeria would continue to lose respect internationally.

“If President Tinubu truly loves Nigeria, he should deliver electoral reforms. That will be his lasting legacy.”

Atiku Abubakar Resigns from PDP, Cites Departure from Party Ideals.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a platform he helped found in 1998. In a letter dated July 14 and addressed to the party chairman in his Jada 1 Ward, Adamawa State, Atiku said his decision takes immediate effect.

“I find it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the Party has taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principles we stood for,” he wrote. “It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognizing the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.”

Atiku, who served as Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999 to 2007, thanked the PDP for offering him the platform to serve and to contest the presidency in 2019 and 2023. He also ran for president under the Action Congress in 2007 and has switched political parties several times during his career.

His exit marks another chapter in his long quest for the presidency, having contested six times under the SDP, PDP, AC, and APC.

Though he returned to the PDP in 2017, Atiku grew increasingly frustrated with the party’s internal crises, poor post-election strategies, and unresolved zoning disputes following its 2023 loss to the APC. Insiders say Atiku had become disillusioned with the leadership’s inability to reposition the PDP as a credible opposition.

In 2024, he began building alliances across party lines, leading to the formation of a new opposition coalition. While he hasn’t officially joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), he is seen as the coalition’s central figure, pushing for electoral reforms and party democracy. The PDP has yet to respond officially, but senior officials admit the resignation is a blow and could trigger further defections ahead of 2027.

At 78, Atiku remains one of Nigeria’s most enduring political figures, known for his influence, wealth, and persistent ambition to lead the nation.