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Senate screens new INEC chair Amupitan today
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The Senate will today (Thursday) screen Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan for the position of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The announcement was contained in a circular issued on Wednesday by the Director of Information for the Senate, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, and made available to journalists in Abuja.
The development comes barely 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu’s letter seeking the speedy confirmation of Amupitan was read on the Senate floor by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.
The circular read in part: “The Office of the Secretary, Research and Information wishes to notify members of the press and the general public that the Senate will on Thursday, 16th October, 2025, conduct the screening of the nominee of President Bola Tinubu, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, as INEC Chairman.
“The exercise is scheduled to hold at the Senate Chamber, National Assembly Complex. Members of the Senate Press Corps are kindly requested to provide their usual media coverage and support to ensure adequate dissemination of information to the public. Similarly, television stations are expected to extend the usual courtesies of providing live coverage of the event.”
Amupitan’s nomination, which followed last week’s endorsement by the National Council of State, marks a significant transition for the electoral body following the exit of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu after a decade at the helm of INEC.
In his letter to the Senate, Tinubu stated that the appointment was made “in line with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)” and urged lawmakers to grant it their “usual expeditious consideration.”
“I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate the appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission,” the President wrote.
Amupitan’s nomination comes at a politically sensitive time, with renewed debates over INEC’s independence and credibility following contentious post-election reviews.
While the Presidency described him as “an apolitical figure of impeccable integrity,” opposition parties and civil society groups have urged the Senate to ensure a transparent and rigorous confirmation process.
Today’s screening is expected to be closely watched nationwide, as it will set the tone for electoral reforms and test the administration’s commitment to credible polls ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Meanwhile, the Northern Nigeria Minorities Group has warned against attempts by individuals and interest groups to ethnicise Amupitan’s appointment.
In a strongly worded statement issued in Kaduna on Tuesday and signed by its Convener, Chief Jacob Edi, the group expressed concern over what it described as “divisive commentaries and social media tirades” questioning President Tinubu’s choice of the Kogi-born scholar.
Edi noted that Amupitan, an indigene of the Okun ethnic group in Kogi State, represents one of the minority nationalities in northern Nigeria and that his appointment should be celebrated rather than politicised.
“We view with consternation the ongoing attempts by certain individuals and interest groups to ethnicise the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission,” Edi said.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Professor Amupitan is an Okun man from Kogi State, one of the minority ethnic nationalities in Northern Nigeria. There are 19 states in the North, each richly diverse and unique, none superior to another by tribe, tongue, or faith.”
He expressed concern that “some self-styled northern voices” were portraying the President’s decision as an act of ethnic preference, describing such a narrative as “false, dangerous, and inimical to national unity.”
Edi, who also holds the title of Kakaki Basanghe, noted that this is the first time in 65 years—since the establishment of a statutory electoral commission in 1959—that someone from a northern minority group has been appointed to lead the nation’s electoral body.
“In all these decades, no northern minority group has ever questioned the decisions of successive Heads of State or Presidents to appoint individuals they felt comfortable working with, even when the North-West and North-East held the position consecutively for 15 years,” the statement added.
The NNMG urged Nigerians to recognise northern minorities as equal stakeholders in the Nigerian project and to desist from questioning their appointments to national offices.
Edi lamented that the “unfortunate trend” of delegitimising northern minority appointments began during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when such appointments were derisively dismissed as “not northern enough.”
“The current ethnicisation of Professor Amupitan’s appointment is a direct continuation of that ugly and retrogressive trend, and it must stop,” he declared.
The group stressed that the North should not be defined by ethnicity but by inclusiveness and diversity, warning that those peddling divisive narratives were “the real enemies of national unity and progress.”
It further outlined four key points, asserting that the backlash over Amupitan’s appointment exposes a long-standing prejudice against northern minorities.
“This jejune narrative underscores our growing concern that some of our northern colleagues continue to perceive northern minorities merely as fillers of demography, unworthy of the privileges and recognition that come with our place in the federation,” it stated.
“Such thinking is antiquated, divisive, and inimical to the spirit of modern governance.”
According to the NNMG, 65 years after independence, Nigeria should be guided by competence, integrity, and capacity rather than ethnic considerations.
“The appointment of Professor Amupitan should be celebrated as a bold step toward inclusivity, equity, and meritocracy. These are values that must be internalised if we are to strengthen our democracy,” the statement added.
While commending President Tinubu for “recognising the diversity of the North,” the group said the President deserves credit for giving all constituent groups in the region a sense of belonging through his recent appointments.
Edi cautioned that further attempts to polarise the country along ethnic or sectional lines would only undermine democratic development.
“We urge political actors, commentators, and citizens alike to rise above petty identity politics and focus on building institutions that work, irrespective of who heads them. The time for ethnic arithmetic is over. The era of competence, fairness, and national responsibility must begin in earnest,” he said.
The group also maintained that northern minorities play a crucial role in stabilising the Nigerian federation, noting that collectively they represent “the real majority” that continues to believe in the unity and progress of the nation.
“We must reiterate, without ambiguity, that northern minorities collectively constitute the true stabilising force of this federation — and when placed together, we are not just minorities; we are the real majority that believes in the unity and progress of Nigeria,” Edi said.
He concluded by calling for an end to the politicisation of national appointments and urged Nigerians to rally behind Professor Amupitan as he prepares to lead the electoral commission.
“Let competence and fairness, not ethnicity, define our national discourse. The success of Nigeria’s democracy depends on it,” Edi added.
President Bola Tinubu has said that the ongoing construction of road infrastructure across satellite towns of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was to inject life into the local economy.
Tinubu, represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima made the remarks in Abuja on Monday, while inaugurating the newly rehabilitated and expanded Karu township roads.
The president said that the Karu township roads stand as a clear testament of his administration’s promise to resolve urban congestion and uplift the living standards of FCT residents.
He described the development as a direct product of his Renewed Hope Agenda in action to modernise the infrastructure of our nation’s capital.
“When we took office three years ago, we recognised that true development must reach where the people actually live, work and commute.
“For years, the Karu corridor, serving as a critical gateway between the FCT and neighboring states, suffered from severe traffic congestion that drained the productivity and energy of residents.
“By expanding and rehabilitating these roads, we are not just laying asphalt; we are injecting life back into the local economy.
Tinubu said that the completed road project had dramatically cut down daily travel times, eliminated frustrating gridlocks, and ensured that businesses in this densely populated area could thrive under the right conditions.
He commended FCT Minister Nyesom Wike saying, “the rapid physical transformation across Abuja could not have happened without the dogged, relentless and focused supervision of Wike.
“His aggressive implementation of our urban renewal master plan is visible for everyone to see. I sincerely commend the minister and his team.
“By prioritising high-density, strategic satellite roads like Karu alongside the city center, the FCT Administration is validating our governance philosophy: that the wealth of this territory must yield practical everyday comfort for all socio-economic classes”.
The president also commended the contractor, Abdul-Val Constructions Limited, a local contractor for the quality work and timely delivery, adding that it has demonstrated that Nigerian firms could match international benchmarks for quality, structural integrity, and project management.
In his remarks, Wike noted that the entire landscape in Karu has changed and urged residents to appreciate government efforts to make their lives better.
“It doesn’t matter the political party you belong to. It doesn’t matter the association you belong to, when you see a good thing say, ‘this is a good thing’.
“Whether anybody hates you (Tinubu) or not, he cannot hate this road. Opposition people use this road; those in government use this road; and those who say they are not politicians also use this road,” he said.
He assured every community and every district in the FCT of steady development and dividends of democracy under the Tinubu administration.
Commending the local contractor, Abdul-Val Constructions Limited, the Minister said the company has demonstrated that local contractors have come of age and they could do what other foreign companies could do.
“For this local contractor, I have seen that whether the money is there to pay him or not, he will never abandon the site.
“He will continue to work and say, ‘Mr minister, I believe in this government of Bola Tinubu. I will do everything, and I know at the end of the day, I will be paid.’
“Mr president, it is rare these days to find people who will commit their money and carry out this kind of assignment,” Wike said.
Earlier, Mr Abdulkadir Zulkiflu, Coordinator, Satellite Towns Development Department, said that the road, which was awarded in August 2025, connects Karu Interchange along the Abuja-Keffi Expressway, to Customs Clinic Junction.
Zulkiflu identified the other roads as the DSS Road, NIA Road, EFCC Road, Hospital Road and Old CBN Quarters Road, all within Karu town.
According to him, the successful completion of the project will significantly improve accessibility, ensure a smooth flow of traffic, an effective drainage system, and enhance the security of lives and properties within the area.
“Karu is one of the highly populated satellite towns of the FCT, and its proximity to the city center has made it a preferred abode for so many prominent Nigerians.
“With this road, in less than a 10-minute drive, you are already in the city center.”
By Francesca Hangeior
The Federal Government will evacuate 271 Nigerians stranded in South Africa, today, The Nation learnt.
According to an update by the spokesperson Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, Air Peace aircraft will depart Nigeria today, Monday, 29th June 2026, at 3:00 pm for the evacuation.
Ebienfa said the plane will depart South Africa at midnight to arrive on Tuesday morning.
The anti-immigration vigilante groups have set a June 30, 2026 deadline demanding undocumented foreign nationals, especially blacks, to leave South Africa.
The threat has sparked widespread fear of xenophobic unrest, leading several African nations to evacuate thousands of their citizens. Though South African authorities have heavily condemned the vigilante threats and deployed the police and military to tighten security nationwide.
Ebienfa in a terse statement said: “Nigeria will resume the evacuation of our Nationals from South Africa today.
“Air Peace aircraft will depart Nigeria today, Monday, 29th June 2026, at 3:00 pm, and is expected to arrive in South Africa at approximately 9:00 pm local time.
“The return flight is scheduled to depart South Africa at 12:00 midnight and is expected to arrive Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Tuesday morning. The expected number is 271.”
… As Nigeria records 33% refusal rate, accounts for 44% of Africa’s denials
By Francesca Hangeior
The United Kingdom has rejected more than 1.34 million visa applications from Nigerians over the past 21 years, according to official figures from the UK Home Office.
The data, drawn from the UK’s Entry Clearance Visa Outcomes database, show that 1,344,595 applications by Nigerians were refused between 2005 and the first quarter of 2026, placing Nigeria second only to India among countries with the highest number of UK visa denials.
Despite the high rejection rate, Nigeria remained one of the UK’s biggest sources of successful applicants. During the period, 2,723,558 visas were issued to Nigerians, making the country the third-largest recipient of UK visas after China and India.
Overall, Nigerians submitted more than 4.09 million visa applications, with decisions taken on about 4.07 million. The figures translate to an average refusal rate of 33.1 per cent—more than double the global average of 14.8 per cent. Nigeria also accounted for 44.4 per cent of all visa refusals involving African applicants.
Visitor visas accounted for the bulk of refusals, with 1,127,088 refusals—almost 84 per cent of the total. Study visas recorded 130,712 refusals, while 41,410 work visa and 12,217 family visa applications were also denied.
The highest rejection rates were recorded in the mid-2000s.
In 2006, UK authorities refused 117,968 Nigerian applications, a refusal rate of 49.6 per cent, while 111,058 applications were rejected in 2005.
Approval rates improved steadily over the years, peaking in 2023, when the UK granted a record 281,658 visas to Nigerians and the refusal rate fell to 21 per cent, the lowest in the review period.
However, the trend reversed after Britain tightened immigration rules in 2024 by raising salary thresholds for Skilled Worker visas and restricting dependents of international students and care workers.
Following the changes, Nigerian work visa applications fell sharply, while refusal rates climbed to 33.5 per cent in 2024, eased marginally to 33.1 per cent in 2025, and rose again to 35.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.
Among African countries, Ghana recorded the second-highest number of UK visa refusals, at 374,108, followed by Algeria, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and Sudan.
The UK Home Office also noted that Nigerian nationals remain among the largest groups seeking asylum after entering Britain on valid visas, a development it said has contributed to increased scrutiny of applications from Nigeria.
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, attributed the sustained surge in applications to Nigeria’s economic challenges and the “Japa” migration wave.
He said expanding economic opportunities at home would reduce the pressure on Nigerians seeking to relocate abroad, adding that the large number of visa approvals also reflected the UK’s continued attractiveness as a destination for Nigerians.
Photos: Karu township roads: Our interventions injecting life into local economy – Tinubu
FG to evacuate 271 from South Africa today
UK rejects 1.34m Nigerian visa applications in 21 years
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