The Independent National Electoral Commission has clarified that its Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, is currently outside Abuja on an official assignment, following questions about his whereabouts.
INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, gave the clarification in response to concerns raised after National Commissioner Professor Rhoda Gumus appeared as Acting Chairman during an engagement with an African Union delegation at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Eta-Messi said Amupitan was away on official duties and had the authority to delegate his responsibilities to any National Commissioner.
The clarification followed a statement by the Obidient Movement, which had asked INEC to explain the chairman’s absence and whether he had formally handed over his responsibilities to another commissioner.
The group, through its National Coordinator, Yunusa Tanko, also called for clarification about Amupitan’s location and official engagements, arguing that the leadership of the electoral commission is subject to public scrutiny, particularly as preparations for the 2027 general elections continue.
INEC’s explanation indicates that Amupitan’s absence from the commission’s Abuja headquarters does not mean that he has stepped away from his responsibilities. The commission said he is carrying out official duties outside the Federal Capital Territory and can delegate responsibilities when necessary.
Publicly available information from INEC also shows that the chairman has recently been involved in activities outside Nigeria relating to electoral technology and election administration. During engagements in Ottawa, Canada, Amupitan met representatives of technology and election-support organisations to discuss issues including responsible artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and the resilience of electoral systems.
He also participated in the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections, where he shared Nigeria’s experience in the use of emerging technology in electoral administration.
The overseas engagements come as INEC continues preparations for the 2027 general elections. Earlier in September, the commission began a nationwide readiness exercise designed to assess its operational preparations across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones.
The exercise, which began in Lagos, is taking INEC's leadership directly to field officers and administrative staff in different parts of the country. The commission said the assessment would cover areas including logistics, technology, security, training, voter education and stakeholder engagement.
Amupitan has also said INEC is strengthening its systems for monitoring election preparations, including the development of a real-time readiness tracker intended to provide officials with information on logistics, staff training and other operational requirements across the states.
The commission's activities have attracted increased public attention as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify. Questions concerning the whereabouts and official engagements of senior electoral officials are therefore likely to continue to attract scrutiny from political groups, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
For now, INEC has maintained that Amupitan's absence from Abuja is connected to official duties and that the chairman is authorised to delegate his responsibilities to another National Commissioner when required.
The clarification provides an official explanation for why Professor Rhoda Gumus appeared in an acting capacity during the commission's engagement with the African Union delegation in Abuja.
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