The Human Rights Writers Affiliation of Nigeria (HURIWA) has raised considerations over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the brand new Chairman of the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC), alleging that the transfer is politically motivated and geared toward influencing the 2027 common elections.
In a press release issued in Abuja on Saturday, HURIWA stated the appointment of Prof. Amupitan, a senior legislation scholar from Kogi State, signalled what it described as an try by the President to consolidate management over the nation’s electoral course of.
In response to the group, intelligence accessible to it advised that the brand new INEC chair was chosen not primarily for competence however for loyalty.
“From the intelligence at our disposal, this appointment shouldn’t be about competence however management. The President, who’s determined to stay in energy in 2027, has chosen an ally who will do his bidding. It’s now left for Prof. Amupitan to show this improper,” the assertion learn.
HURIWA expressed concern that the appointment might undermine the credibility of future elections until the Electoral Act is urgently amended to make the usage of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Outcome Viewing portal (IReV) obligatory and enforceable by legislation.
The affiliation recalled that the 2023 presidential election was marred by what it described as irregularities, whereas different polls, notably the Nationwide Meeting elections, have been “comparatively credible” as a result of efficient use of digital accreditation and consequence transmission.
HURIWA additionally linked the latest wave of defections by opposition politicians to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to what it termed the “weaponisation of state establishments.”
It claimed that many officeholders have been becoming a member of the APC to keep away from harassment or prosecution. “We have now a President utilizing each accessible state establishment to weaken opposition events,” the group alleged.
The rights physique additional famous the looks of marketing campaign billboards bearing Tinubu’s picture throughout components of the nation as an indication of early political campaigning and warned that such actions might enhance political stress forward of the 2027 elections.
HURIWA referred to as on the Nationwide Meeting to prioritise electoral reforms that may strengthen INEC’s independence and guarantee technological transparency in future elections.
It urged Prof. Amupitan to display impartiality and accountability in his position, including that Nigerians and the worldwide neighborhood can be watching intently to see whether or not he would uphold the fee’s integrity or serve partisan pursuits.
