Barrister Chijioke Ubuoke, a lawyer and political analyst, has asserted that President Bola Tinubu likely appointed Professor Joash Amupitan as chairman of INEC because he perceived Professor Joash Amupitan has sympathy for him, emphasizing that such an appointment should be neutral.
In an interview with Symfoni TV, Ubuoke made this statement in response to growing public criticism over Amupitan’s past social media activity, which appeared supportive of the ruling All Progressives Congress before his appointment.
He argued that the president acted within constitutional powers, suggesting that the appointment process inherently allows for discretion and that the National Assembly and relevant agencies had the responsibility to thoroughly investigate and challenge the nomination if there were concerns.
He downplayed the controversy, describing it as a distraction fueled by political tension, which usually happens during election periods. According to Ubuoke, issues like these are minor and should not be amplified because they’re diverting attention from more substantive national concerns.
He further maintained that calls for Amupitan’s resignation are unlikely to yield results, noting that the process has already been concluded. He criticized opposition parties, particularly the ADC, for focusing excessively on this controversy instead of campaigning and strengthening their political base.
In his words, “The ideal is that you appoint somebody who is neutral. So the president in searching for a substantive INEC chairman must have gone for somebody who he knows has some kind of sympathy for him. And if he did that, one wouldn’t be surprised.”
“After all, the constitution gave him the prerogative to do the appointment, and then the National Assembly confirms it. And these things should have been… Whoever is confirming should have investigated.”
“The security agencies, all this should have been done and scrutinized, and if they are tangible enough to stop this confirmation, they should have.”
