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.”
“I’m not going to accept any appointment from anybody because coming to serve here is based on trust,” he said.
The INEC chairman was responding to a question on whether he would commit to rejecting political or diplomatic appointments after leaving office, unlike his predecessor, Mahmood Yakubu, who accepted an ambassadorial nomination from President Bola Tinubu after overseeing the 2023 general elections.
Yakubu was among 32 ambassadorial nominees whose names Tinubu forwarded to the Senate for confirmation in November 2025.
He was subsequently designated as Nigeria’s non-career ambassador to Qatar.
Explaining his position, Amupitan said his appointment as INEC chairman came with an obligation to remain neutral and ensure 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.”
Amupitan, however, said he believed public officeholders should also have time to pursue personal interests after years of public service.
“All my life I have served the public, so there should be occasion where you should also have time to serve yourself,” he said.
He added that his background in corporate governance had exposed him to opportunities in the private sector.
“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.
