The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said that the Senate’s confirmation of Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was nothing more than a formality. The party argued that the process has become predictable, with the Senate approving nearly every nominee presented by the President.

In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the pattern of approvals by the 10th Senate shows that “whatever the President wants, the President gets.” According to him, the confirmation exercise has lost its essence of checks and balances.

Abdullahi stated that the screening of Prof. Amupitan was done only because it was required by law, adding that there was no possibility of the nominee being rejected. “It’s just a matter of procedure. The screening was only carried out because it’s mandatory, not because there was any chance of refusal,” he said.

Despite its criticism of the process, the ADC expressed readiness to give the new INEC Chairman a fair chance to prove himself. The party said it would judge Amupitan by his actions and commitment to transparent elections rather than the manner of his appointment.

Abdullahi further emphasized that Nigeria’s electoral problems go beyond technology or logistics. He said the main challenge remains the human factor—issues of integrity, accountability, and the will to do the right thing. He urged the new INEC boss to restore public confidence in the electoral process through fairness and transparency.