“I Won’t Accept Any Appointment After INEC Tenure” – Amupitan

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has ruled out accepting any political or diplomatic appointment after completing his tenure at the electoral commission.

Amupitan made the declaration on Thursday during a panel discussion at Chatham House in London, titled, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.”

Responding to a question on whether he would reject political or diplomatic appointments after leaving office, unlike his predecessor, Mahmood Yakubu, who accepted an ambassadorial nomination, Amupitan said his appointment as INEC chairman was based on public trust.

“I’m not going to accept any appointment from anybody because coming to serve here is based on trust,” he said.

Yakubu was among 32 ambassadorial nominees whose names President Bola Tinubu forwarded to the Senate for confirmation in November 2025. He was subsequently designated as Nigeria’s non-career ambassador to Qatar after overseeing the 2023 general elections.

Explaining his position, Amupitan said his role as INEC chairman required him to remain neutral and ensure the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.

He said, “And then I took an oath of allegiance, not only to be neutral, but to ensure that the conduct of the election is free, fair, and credible.

“It’s a national assignment, and somebody must do this job. It’s not a job that you want to spend five years and at the end of the day you’re not going to even serve yourself.”

The INEC chairman, however, said public officeholders should have the opportunity to pursue personal interests after years of service to the country.

“All my life I have served the public, so there should be occasion where you should also have time to serve yourself,” he said.

Amupitan, a professor of corporate governance, added that his professional background had exposed him to opportunities in the private sector, which he intends to explore after his public service.

“Because I’m a professor of corporate governance. I know where the hidden wealths are in this world, part of which are in Nigeria. So, a lot of people are looking for it. I should also be part of it,” he said.