The Chairman-designate of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, has denied the speculation that he was part of the legal team that represented President Bola Tinubu at the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC).
Amupitan stated this on Thursday during his screening by the Senate.
“You also talked about whether I was part of the presidential election team. I have also read it.
“It is very simple to answer. The Law reports on those cases have been out. And even when I was coming, I decided to have certified true copies of the counsel that appeared.
“I never, I did not appear in the presidential election tribunal and at the Supreme Court,” the 58-year-old Law professor said while responding to a question from the lawmaker represent Bayelsa West, Senator Seriake Dickson.
He also denied representing Peter Obi of the Labour Party or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the tribunal.
“I was not part of it,” he stated when Senate President Godswil Akpabio asked him whether he was part of the legal teams of the opposition.
Amupitan was confirmed by the Senate after over two hours of questioning.
The senators quizzed him on how he plans to restore credibility to Nigeria’s electoral process and implement meaningful reforms within the commission.
The academic was nominated by President Bola Tinubu and received formal endorsement from the National Council of State last week.
Amupitan becomes the sixth substantive Chairman of INEC, succeeding Mahmood Yakubu, who has officially concluded his tenure as the INEC boss.
Legal Tussle
Obi and the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, had challenged the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election at the PEPC.
In September, the court (PEPC) rejected the petitions, including allegations of fraud, alleged violations by the INEC, and claims that Tinubu did not meet the constitutional requirements.
Along with its original claims, Atiku’s legal team had also sought to introduce new evidence with claims that Tinubu submitted a forged certificate from the Chicago State University as a qualification to the election commission when he applied to run for president.
In October 2023, the Supreme Court upheld Tinubu’s victory in the February 25, 2023, presidential election.
The apex court, in its ruling, dismissed the appeals by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.
A seven-judge panel ruled that the opposition appeals over claims of fraud, electoral law violations, and Tinubu’s ineligibility to run for president were without merit.
