₦airaland Forum

10th October 2025.

President of the Senate,
National Assembly

THROUGH:

Senate Committee on Electoral Matters,
Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
National Assembly,
Abuja,
Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

ATTENTION: Distinguished Senator Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong, Chairman, Senate Committee on Electoral Matters.

Dear Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Sirs and Madams,

DISQUALIFICATION OF PROF. JOASH AMUPITAN FROM CONFIRMATION AS CHAIRMAN OF THE INDEPENDENT NIGERIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) ON THE GROUNDS OF LIKELIHOOD OF BIAS, IMPARTIALITY AND CONFLICT OF INTERESTS (IN VIOLATION OF SECTION 5 OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT BUREAU AND TRIBUNAL ACT, 1991 AND SECTION 19 OF THE INDEPENDENT CORRUPT PRACTICES AND RELATED OFFENCES ACT, 2003) CONSIDERING HIS PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENT AS LEAD COUNSEL FOR THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) DURING THE 2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PETITION AT THE SUPREME COURT.

By way of introduction, Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners-ALDRAP is a professional Association of over 1,000 Lawyers who are both staff and consultants of the National Assembly and other legislatures within and outside Nigeria.

Our paramount goal is to promote professionalism in the enactment of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Our methods include public legal education programmes, and public interest litigation.

The ultimate objective is to ensure that both officials and institutions of government comply with the provisions of both the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and other legislation.

In September 2017 we received formal accreditation as a provider of continuing legal education programmes for the over 200,000 Nigerian lawyers, said accreditation was issued by the Nigerian Bar Association-NBA's Institute of Continuing Legal Education.

We write to notify the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that any letter from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria seeking confirmation of Professor JOASH AMUPITAN as the Chairman of INEC, ought to be responded to with immediate effect stating that said Prof. JOASH AMUPITAN does not meet the qualifications in the first instance.

The letter of response to the said letter of nomination should be dispatched with immediate effect without taking the next step of referring the said letter to your respected Committee on Electoral Matters.

The reason is because Prof. JOASH AMUPITAN as a former Legal Counsel to the All Progressives Congress-APC at the 2023 Presidential Electoral Petition at the Supreme Court of Nigeria is automatically disqualified from holding the position of Chairman of INEC.

The reasons are as listed below:

1. Previous Precedent of Senate's disqualification of INEC Nominees such as Lauretta Onochie in the year 2021 due to their affiliation to the All Progressives Congress-APC to be disqualified from confirmation by your respected Committee. This is reported online at: https://placng.org/Legist/finally-senate-rejects-onochie/
2. Professor Joash Amiputan's confirmation would be a violation of Section 5 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, 1991, which states as follows: "A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities." Having previously served as a lead legal counsel to the APC, Prof. Joash Amiputan cannot perform the duties of Chairman of INEC which is a position that requires utmost impartiality as the chief electoral umpire, when called upon to arbitrate or oversee conduct of elections between the APC and other political parties, his sympathies would likely be towards the APC;
3. Confirm of Prof. Joash Amiputan would be evidence that he is using his previous position as lead Legal Counsel to the APC to benefit himself and confer advantage upon himself. This is a violation of Section 19 of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission Act, 2003; and
4. There are over 200,000 lawyers in Nigeria, if the President and the National Council of State has made the decision that the next Chairman of INEC ought to be selected from the legal profession, then there are not less than 100,000 Nigerian lawyers who are not registered members of any political party or previous acted as legal counsel to any political parties in Nigeria. His Excellency President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria can select from this category of lawyers to avoid the appearance of bias.

TAKE NOTICE THAT IN THE EVENT THAT THE SENATE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA GOES AGEAD TO UNDERTAKE CONFIRMATION OF THE SAID PROF. JOASH AMUPITAN, OUR ASSOCIATION-ALDRAP SHALL BE LEFT WITH NO OTHER OPTION THAN TO INSTITUTE A LAWSUIT TO COMPEL THE SENATE TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF IMPARTIALITY IN THE CONFIRMATION OF A CHAIRMAN OF INEC.

We thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation.

Yours faithfully,
Jesse Williams Amuga,
Administrative Secretary, ALDRAP.

cc:

1. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
2. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Abuja, FCT;
3. Director-General, Department of State Security Services (DSS), Headquarters, Abuja, FCT;
4. Inspector-General of Police, Louis Edet House, Abuja, FCT;
5. Ambassador of the European Union to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Abuja, FCT;
6. Ambassador of the United States of America (USA), Abuja, FCT; and
7. High Commissioner of the United Kingdom in Nigeria

You cannot just write for disqualification without proof. Kindly bring your proof to the public where he was legal team of APC presidential tribunal. Get the true certified copy of the judgement where his name was written as part of legal team.

Omoboricash:
You cannot just write for disqualification without proof. Kindly bring your proof to the public where he was legal team of APC presidential tribunal. Get the true certified copy of the judgement where his name was written as part of legal team.

Are you saying his fellow lawyers don't know what they are saying? A group of over 100 reputable lawyers can't be saying nonsense na, think about it. Was the case a secret case that they won't know those on the list of Tinubu's counsel?


Some may not be visible to the media and to ordinary Nigerians like yourself, but his fellow legal practitioners will definitely know okay?

franchasofficia:
Are you saying his fellow lawyers don't know what they are saying? A group of over 100 reputable lawyers can't be saying nonsense na, think about it. Was the case a secret case that they won't know those on the list of Tinubu's counsel?


Some may not be visible to the media and to ordinary Nigerians like yourself, but his fellow legal practitioners will definitely know okay?

So you go tell court say I hear say? Them suppose jail you for being too numb. Legal counsels will always have their names written by the court clerk go bring am and tender as evidence not all this beer parlor gossip

xtivin:
So you go tell court say I hear say? Them suppose jail you for being too numb. Legal counsels will always have their names written by the court clerk go bring am and tender as evidence not all this beer parlor gossip

We go bring am soon, Tinubu just want to rig the 2027 Presidential election at all cost, odiegwu

franchasofficia:
We go bring am soon, Tinubu just want to rig the 2027 Presidential election at all cost, odiegwu

Before nko?
No be the same thing for 2023?

Professor Joash Amupitan ≠ Professor Taiwo Osipitan.