The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has once again plunged Nigeria into a state of national embarrassment, and at the center of this debacle sits its chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN. The recent forensic audit, which laughably cleared him of any ties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is a load of hogwash. If this man has a shred of honor left, he must resign immediately, before he completely destroys whatever remains of the nation's electoral integrity.
President Bola Tinubu cynically presented Amupitan as an "apolitical" figure, but this facade crumbled the moment his appointment was announced. Even before he was confirmed, the North-Central APC Forum was already celebrating, praising Tinubu for appointing "one of the region's illustrious sons". Their chairman, a member of the APC's 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, gushed that the appointment affirmed the "wealth of human capital in the North-Central region". This was not the reaction of impartial observers; it was the jubilation of a political machine welcoming one of its own. The question Nigerians must ask is: when an umpire is appointed to the sound of partisan applause, can the match ever be fair?
When the public began to uncover the digital evidence, Amupitan’s carefully crafted image of neutrality shattered. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) findings revealed a Yahoo email address ([email protected]) and a phone number (08035074099) that were used to register an X (formerly Twitter) account under his name. This same account was used to post blatantly partisan comments, including:
- Cheering an APC victory by responding "Victory is sure" to a post bragging about flipping an "Igbo-dominated community".
- Calling opposition supporters "evil in the 24th century".
- Using the revered chieftaincy title "Asiwaju" for President Tinubu, a term of deep political loyalty.
Faced with this damning evidence, Amupitan did not resign. Instead, his media aide issued a blanket denial, claiming the account was not his. This brings us to the so-called "forensic audit" – a pathetic, self-serving whitewash that insults the intelligence of every Nigerian. It is a clear case of the accused commissioning his own investigation and declaring himself innocent. This is not accountability; it is an insult to the nation.
The fallout has been immediate and devastating. A coalition of civil society organizations, including the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) led by figures like Prof. Pat Utomi and Femi Falana (SAN), has called for Amupitan to step aside, citing a "crisis of credibility". The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded his sack, accusing him of plotting to foist a one-party state on Nigeria. Nigerians in the diaspora have even staged protests at the UK Parliament.
Amupitan’s continued presence at the helm of INEC is a direct threat to the 2027 elections. How can any opposition party trust an umpire whose digital footprint screams partisan loyalty to the ruling party? How can any Nigerian citizen believe in a forensic audit conducted by the very man it is meant to investigate? His position is now a symbol of the very rot he was appointed to clean up. For the sake of Nigeria's fragile democracy, this charade must end now.