Joash Amupitan, 58, a professor of law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau state, deputy vice-chancellor (administration), whose nomination was approved this week by the Council of State as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was not part of the legal team that defended President Bola Tinubu at the election tribunal.
This assertion was made by Babatunde Ogala, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN, and the coordinator of the Tinubu presidential legal team,
Tinubu nominated Amupitan as the new INEC chairman after Mahmood Yakubu completed his two-term of 10 years.
The Senate will still ratify Amupitan’s nomination to make his position substantive.
Ogala, reacted to reports alleging that the new INEC chairman was among the lawyers who defended Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 elections at the tribunal.
In the words of Ogala: “As the erstwhile coordinator of that legal team, I feel compelled, not as a rejoinder, but in service to truth and public interest, to set the records straight and allay any concerns these malicious fabrications may have caused among well-meaning Nigerians,” the statement reads.
“For the avoidance of doubt, 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 who were formally engaged for that assignment, of whom sixty (60) were distinguished Senior Advocates of Nigeria
“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. In fact, any member of the public may apply for Certified True Copies of all legal processes filed on behalf of the president-elect (as he then was) to confirm the authenticity of this statement.
“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.”
See Ogala’s statement below:
Leave a Reply