NNPP founder to Amupitan: Your first task is to change INEC’s battered image

Boniface Aniebonam, founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s nomination of Joash Amupitan as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Speaking on Sunday in Lagos, Aniebonam said Amupitan’s appointment was a step in the right direction, despite the controversies surrounding it.

The National Council of State had, on October 7, approved Amupitan’s appointment to succeed Mahmood Yakubu as INEC chair, pending confirmation by the senate.

Aniebonam said the incoming electoral chief had a daunting task ahead and must “hit the ground running” once confirmed.

“The first task for Amupitan is to change the battered image of INEC and return the trust of Nigerians in the umpire,” NAN quoted the NNPP founder as saying.

“INEC’s image has been so eroded over the years that the first task before Amupitan is righting the wrongs of the commission and re-creating confidence in it.

“Amupitan needs to study the commission thoroughly and correct issues currently before it that Mahmoud ignored.”

Aniebonam said the president must have found Amupitan competent enough for the job, adding that Tinubu’s decision reflects a sincere effort to reform governance institutions.

“President Tinubu and the federal executive council must have seen his capacity before nominating him,” he said.

“What we need in Nigeria now are leaders capable of taking informed and tough decisions if we must rebuild the nation of our dreams.”

The NNPP founder said his experience with INEC during the party’s internal leadership dispute exposed the commission’s institutional weaknesses.

“For the immediate past leadership of INEC to ignore subsisting court orders directing it to upload NNPP’s new national executive was shocking and shameful,” Aniebonam said.

“What could have stopped the former INEC boss from obeying court orders should be examined — these and many more are part of issues that can erode a people’s confidence in an institution.”

He urged Amupitan to distinguish himself from previous INEC chairmen by restoring credibility to the electoral body.

“Amupitan has the choice to either follow the path of past INEC chairmen or write his name in diamond,” Aniebonam said.

He called for immediate action on pending legal issues, especially those related to disobedience of court judgments.

“It is still like a daydream that some bad eggs in INEC connived to change the NNPP’s logo and colour without the consent of its founding members or the holders of its original certificate of registration,” he said.

“INEC made that conversion without even sighting the original registration certificate. That simply means anyone could walk in and alter the symbols of APC, PDP, Labour, or others just like that.”

Aniebonam said the NNPP would support the new INEC leadership and urged Amupitan not to be distracted from his mandate.

“The NNPP remains committed to working with President Tinubu to give Amupitan all the support he needs,” he said.

“I pray he will not be distracted in carrying out his duties.”