Yiaga Africa has said that the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, faces a daunting task with several key elections approaching.
The organisation’s Executive Director, Samson Itodo, made the remark during an interview on Arise Television on Thursday, October 10, stressing that the transition process must be concluded quickly to allow the new chairman to settle into his role.
His comments came less than 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu nominated Prof Amupitan to head the electoral body.
“I think that when you look at his pedigree, he has all the professional qualifications based on what we have been told and also someone who was my teacher back then in the university,” Itodo said.
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He added, “Yes he’s got his accomplishment and pedigree but when you look at INEC as an institution, you require more than that. You require individuals who have the courage to withstand political pressure.”
The Yiaga Africa chief stressed that Amupitan’s success would also depend on the team around him.
“At the end of the day if he’s cleared by the Senate, the team he will work with is critical because INEC has a lot of personnel ranging from Electoral Officers to Resident Commissioners,” he said.
Itodo expressed concern about the short timeline before major elections, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and some governorship polls.
“I think he’s got his work cut out for him with the FCT election and some governorship elections coming close,” he said.