November 09, (THEWILL) — Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan faced his first test on the conduct of a free and fair election by the Commission with the Anambra Governorship Election on Saturday, October 8, 2025.
Appointed less than a month ago, he had continuously urged stakeholders and the electorate to read his lips. During his screening at the Senate, he swore that his leadership of the electoral umpire would not only witness the conduct a free and fair elections, but also when defeated candidates would congratulate the winners and there would be no need for litigation, which, incidentally has, continued to cast doubt about the legitimacy of governments derived from election vetted through judicial interpretation.
Even with his staff, he had restated the same commitment he made to stakeholders.
“It is with immense gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility that I stand before you today as your new Chairman. Our mandate is clear – to deliver free, fair and credible elections that reflect the will of the Nigerian people,” he declared during his first meeting with directors of the Commission at INEC headquarters in Abuja a fortnight ago, shortly after he was sworn in by President Bola Tinubu.
Again, two days to the election, he gave the reassurance to deliver a credible, transparent and peaceful election, stating that the Commission’s duty is to the citizenry as the Commission has pulled all the stops to deliver on its core mandate of conducting election.
A mock election had been conducted in 12 out of 21 Local Government, 24,000 personnel would be deployed by the commission during the election to be held in 5,720 wards spread across the 21 local government areas of the state.
In addition, a total of 60, 000 security personnel drawn from the police, army, Air Force and paramilitary agencies have been mobilised for the purpose of the election.
While some civil society based organisations have expressed concern over the fragile nature of security and persistent voter apathy as well as the fear of vote buying when Governor Charles Soludo disclosed his government’s intention to give cash rewards to party members who delivered their wards, the Commission ensured that it held the election according to its plans. The government explained that the monetary reward was part of its effort to check voter apathy and encourage competition among its supporters. At any rate, security personnel have been forewarned of any such possible malpractice. Election observers and monitors also have been informed about it too.
The results have been declared and a winner emerged. As usual, opposition parties who lost are making claims about underhand tactics and illegalities perpetrated by the government. In a matter of few days when things become clearer, the verdict will be out to either justify or repudiate Prof. Amupitan’s promise. After all, Anambra poll is an off- season election and an only state, less than .01 per cent of the entire country, which is INEC electoral constituency.
If it shows that his first test resulted in a misstep, restoring confidence in the larger electorate, which has repeatedly earned trust deficit from previous, badly conducted elections, may become a daunting task even though elections in Ekiti and Osun States come up in 2026, a few months to the 2027 general election.
