We’ll Fix What Went Wrong in 2023 So 2027 Isn’t a Rerun of the Drama, Says New INEC Chair

By Emmanuel Kwada

In a resolute vow that has sparked cautious optimism across Nigeria’s fractious political landscape, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, the freshly confirmed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declared on Friday that his leadership will “fix what went wrong” in the scandal-plagued 2023 elections to ensure the 2027 polls don’t devolve into another “rerun of the drama.”

Amupitan, a soft-spoken legal scholar and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) from Kogi State, made the pledge during his first media engagement since the Senate rubber-stamped his appointment on Thursday.

Stepping into the shoes of his predecessor, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who bowed out after a decade marred by controversies, Amupitan positioned himself as the “new broom” ready to sweep away the cobwebs of distrust that have choked Nigeria’s democracy.

“The 2023 elections were a turning point, but not the one we wanted,” Amupitan said, his voice steady but laced with the weight of expectation.

“Technical glitches, logistical nightmares, and a flood of litigation left scars on our electoral soul. We’ll audit every corner the IReV portal, BVAS deployment, voter education gaps and plug those leaks. By 2027, Nigerians won’t be watching a sequel to that chaos; they’ll be part of a process they can truly own.”

The 2023 general elections, billed as INEC’s tech-savvy redemption arc with promises of real-time result uploads and biometric accreditation, instead became a national embarrassment.

Widespread failures in the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal left millions staring at blank screens on election night, fueling accusations of manipulation and vote suppression.

Voter turnout plummeted to a dismal 28.6%, the lowest since 1999, as disillusionment set in. Opposition parties, from the PDP to Labour, dragged INEC to court, with tribunals still echoing the cries of “stolen mandates” two years later.

Amupitan, 62, isn’t blind to the skepticism. A former Dean of Law at the University of Jos and author of weighty tomes on corporate governance and evidence law, he comes across less like a politician and more like a professor dissecting a flawed thesis.

During his Senate screening, he faced a barrage of questions on everything from diaspora voting to curbing vote-buying. His answers? Measured, reform-focused, and unapologetically ambitious.

“We’ll push for an independent electoral offences tribunal INEC can’t investigate and prosecute; it’s a conflict waiting to happen,” he told senators, echoing calls from civil society groups like Yiaga Africa.

“And funding? We’ll advocate for releases 12 months ahead, not the last-minute scramble that starves us of resources.”

On voter apathy, he doubled down: “Credible elections are the antidote to indifference. We’ll ramp up civic education, make it aggressive and inclusive, so every Nigerian, from the villages of Kogi to the streets of Lagos, feels the stake.”

Not everyone is buying the pitch yet. Atiku Abubakar’s camp, still smarting from 2023, issued a terse statement welcoming the “fresh start” but warning that “words must become deeds.”

Labour Party’s Peter Obi, whose youth-driven surge electrified the last vote, took to social media: “Professor Amupitan, the people are watching. Deliver integrity, or history will judge you harshly.” Even within the ruling APC, whispers suggest Amupitan’s North-Central roots making him the first from Kogi in the role could balance regional tensions, but only if he navigates Tinubu’s shadow deftly.

President Bola Tinubu, who nominated Amupitan last week after the National Council of State’s nod, has kept a low profile on the handover.

But insiders say the appointment signals a quiet pivot: away from Yakubu’s tech-heavy but glitch-ridden era toward a more accountable, legally fortified INEC. “This isn’t about one man’s loyalty,” a presidency source confided. “It’s about stabilizing the ship before 2027 storms hit.”

For everyday Nigerians, the stakes couldn’t be higher. In a country where elections often feel like high-stakes theater complete with boycotts, ballot snatching, and billion-naira tribunals Amupitan’s words landed like a lifeline.

At a bustling Abuja market, trader Amina Yusuf, 45, shrugged as she weighed tomatoes: “I’ve voted since ’99, but last time? I stayed home. If this prof means it, maybe I’ll queue up again. Drama’s fine on TV, not at the polls.”

As Amupitan settles into his office overlooking the Eagle Square, his to-do list looms large: overseeing off-cycle votes in Anambra next month, Ekiti in 2026, and laying the groundwork for what could be Nigeria’s most pivotal election yet.

Will he deliver the fixes, or will 2027 echo the ghosts of 2023? The professor insists it’s the former. “We’re not just mending machines,” he concluded. “We’re rebuilding faith. And that starts now.”