The incoming Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), has dismissed speculation that he was part of President Bola Tinubu’s legal team during the 2023 presidential election tribunal.
Naijaonpoint reports that Amupitan made the clarification on Thursday while responding to questions during his Senate screening.
He said, “When I was coming here, I bought the certified true copy of the legal appearances at the tribunal and the Supreme Court. I was not part of it. I never, I did not partake in it.”
Following his nomination to replace Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as INEC chairman, rumours spread that Amupitan had been among the lawyers who defended Tinubu’s mandate at the tribunal.
The insinuations had triggered public debate over his neutrality as the head of Nigeria’s electoral umpire.
Babatunde Ogala (SAN), who coordinated the President’s defence team in 2023, had earlier debunked the claims.
In a statement issued on October 11, 2025, Ogala insisted Amupitan’s name was never on the list of 123 lawyers who represented Tinubu, including 60 Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
“Prof. Amupitan SAN was never, at any point, a member of the Tinubu Presidential Legal Team. His name does not appear among the over one hundred and twenty-three legal practitioners formally engaged for that assignment,” Ogala said.
Ogala further challenged those spreading the claims to provide credible proof.
He further stated, “At no time during the entire process was his counsel, opinion, or professional service sought or rendered. I therefore challenge anyone peddling this falsehood to produce verifiable evidence to the contrary. Any member of the public may apply for Certified True Copies of all legal processes filed on behalf of the president-elect to confirm this.”
The senior lawyer cautioned against twisting facts for political gains, warning that such actions only inflame public sentiment.
Ogala added, “While political discourse is inevitable in any democracy, it is essential that our engagement remains anchored on truth, decency, and national stability. Deliberately twisting facts to inflame public sentiment serves no one and only endangers our collective peace.”
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