The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has warned the Senate against a hasty or politically motivated confirmation of the newly appointed chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Joash Amupitan, SAN, that could deepen public cynicism toward the electoral process.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, issued this warning on Friday in Abuja shortly after the inaugural meeting of the Venue Sub-Committee for the PDP 2025 Elective National Convention, chaired by the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Lawal.
Ologunagba cautioned that Nigerians and the international community were watching how the confirmation will be handled.
According to him, the Senate must not ‘rubber-stamp’ the nomination, stressing that the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process, already under public suspicion after the 2023 general elections, now hangs on how transparently the upper chamber manages the confirmation hearing.
“We recognise the constitutional process that allows the President to nominate through the Council of State, which has now been done.
“The next step is for the Senate to conduct a thorough confirmation hearing on behalf of the Nigerian people,” Ologunagba said.
The PDP’s spokesperson pointed out that the credibility of Nigeria’s democracy now rests heavily on the Senate’s integrity.
“Our position as a party has always been the need to build strong institutions. When institutions work, it matters little who heads them because the systems themselves ensure accountability.
“INEC is critical to the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria, and we expect the Senate to do its job diligently,” he added.