The African Democratic Congress has urged the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), to place his loyalty with the Nigerian people rather than the ruling APC government, emphasising the need to restore public confidence in the nation’s electoral system.

In a statement issued on Thursday, ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the coalition party is ready to extend the nominated INEC Chairman the benefit of the doubt.

The ADC expressed hope that the new INEC chairman would be driven by a personal commitment to perform better.

He stated, “We are cautious. But we expect the new INEC chairman to have a personal ambition to do better and restore the confidence of Nigerians and the world in the Nigerian election.

“He must understand that his loyalty is with the Nigerian people, not the government. We are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt based on his track record. But now he has the opportunity to make a good name for himself that his children would be proud of, or to soil his record and end up with ignominy.

“He should bear in mind also that his tenure will ordinarily last beyond one electoral cycle. He should therefore look beyond the interest of those who have appointed him.”

The appointment comes after Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s 10-year tenure ended in October 2025.

Tinubu noted that Amupitan, a 58-year-old law professor from Kogi State, is the first person from the North-Central region to be nominated for the position.