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BREAKING: Tinubu swears in Amupitan as new INEC Chair

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President Bola Tinubu has officially sworn in Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The ceremony followed the Senate’s confirmation of Amupitan’s appointment last week after a rigorous screening session on October 16.

At the swearing-in, President Tinubu tasked Amupitan with safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s elections and strengthening INEC’s institutional capacity.

“As the chairman of INEC, your nomination and confirmation reflect the confidence reposed in you by both the executive and legislative arms of government. This marks the start of a challenging yet rewarding journey, and I trust you will approach your duties with integrity, dedication, and patriotism,” Tinubu said.

Highlighting Nigeria’s democratic progress over 25 years, the President emphasized the need for continuous innovation and reform to maintain free, fair, and credible elections. He urged Amupitan to ensure transparency and public trust throughout the entire electoral process—from voter registration and campaigning to voting and counting.

Amupitan, a professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), arrived at the State House on Thursday dressed in traditional white agbada and gold cap ahead of the formal ceremony. He was accompanied by presidential aides.

During his Senate screening, the 58-year-old nominee pledged to restore credibility to Nigeria’s electoral process by prioritizing reforms, including strengthening the Electoral Act to resolve inconsistencies in election timelines and enhance transparency.

“We must conduct elections where even the loser congratulates the winner fairly,” Amupitan told senators, emphasizing the need to rebuild voter confidence.

He also clarified his neutrality by denying any involvement in President Tinubu’s legal team during the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court, stating, “I never appeared before the Presidential Election Tribunal or the Supreme Court for any party.”

Amupitan succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the sixth substantive INEC chairman since the commission’s establishment. He is expected to immediately begin the transition process at INEC headquarters in Abuja following his swearing-in.

Profile

Born on April 25, 1967, the 58-year-old Amupitan hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau State. He is also an alumnus of the university.

He specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance and Privatisation Law. He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in September 2014.

After completing primary and secondary education, he attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, from 1982 to 1984, and the University of Jos from 1984 to 1987. He was called to the bar in 1988.

Amupitan earned an LLM at UNIJOS in 1993 and a PhD in 2007, amid an academic career that began in 1989, following his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation in Bauchi from 1988 to 1989.

He currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, a position he holds in conjunction with being the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.

Among the academic positions he has held at UNIJOS are: Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012-2014); Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008-2014); and Head of Public Law (2006-2008).

Outside of academics, Amupitan serves as a board member of Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council, and a member of the Council of Legal Education (2008-2014), among other roles. He was a board member of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja(1996-2004).

Amupitan is the author of many books on law, such as Corporate Governance: Models and Principles(2008); Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008); Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria(2013), Principles of Company Law(2013)  and an Introduction to the Law of Trust in Nigeria (2014).

He is married and has four children.

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UK court jails Nigerian man for masturbating in front of a woman

British Transport Police said Odutola approached a woman on the train, looked her up and down and became aggressive when she refused to engage with him. He then exposed himself while sitting in a wheelchair and began masturbating while staring at the woman and telling her to “come over”

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•A Nigerian man and registered sex offender, Babatunde Odutola

A Nigerian man and registered sex offender, Babatunde Odutola has been jailed in the UK after exposing himself and masturbating in front of a woman on a train travelling towards Manchester.

Odutola, 36, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 44 weeks in prison at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 14, after pleading guilty to outraging public decency and breaching a suspended sentence order.

The incident occurred around 7pm on Friday, September 11, on a train travelling through Cheshire towards Manchester Piccadilly railway station.

British Transport Police said Odutola approached a woman on the train, looked her up and down and became aggressive when she refused to engage with him. He then exposed himself while sitting in a wheelchair and began masturbating while staring at the woman and telling her to “come over”.

A fellow passenger intervened and escorted the distressed woman from the carriage.

According to police, CCTV footage showed Odutola continued masturbating as other passengers walked through the carriage.

British Transport Police officers arrested him after the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly. He was subsequently prosecuted and jailed within 72 hours of the incident

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Digital Economy Minister Says NDPC Now Properly Functional With New HQ

” An asset recovered on behalf of the Nigerian people has now been returned to productive use for the Nigerian people. That is reform made tangible,” he said .

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Abuja| NDPC new headquarters commission , Tuesday, 15 September,2026.

An EFCC-recovered property allocated to the Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, has been transformed to the new headquarters of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) in Abuja, as its headquarters.

Speaking during the commissioned ceremony of the building, the Honourable Minister incharge of the ministry, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, described the facility as a tangible demonstration of the visionary leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his commitment to building strong institutions that can support Nigeria’s growing digital economy.

The Minister emphasised that said the occasion represented more than the opening of a new office, but a reflection of the administration’s commitment to strengthening the institutions required to protect Nigerians and build trust in the country’s digital economy.

Dr. Tijani said, “Shortly after assuming office in 2023, President Tinubu signed the Nigeria Data Protection Act into law, giving the NDPC the appropriate legal foundation and authority to protect the data and privacy rights of Nigerians.

The President also directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government to comply with established data protection laws and frameworks, demonstrating that government must lead by example in upholding the standards it expects from citizens and businesses.”

He added, “In the early days of the Commission, it was difficult to ask an institution to protect the data of over 200 million Nigerians and support one of Africa’s largest digital economies without the institutional resources to do so.

President Tinubu recognised this challenge and moved to solve it, approving the resources required for the NDPC to become properly operational and functional, while building towards becoming a sustainable institution in its own right.

He also directed that an EFCC-recovered property be allocated to the Commission as its headquarters.

“An asset recovered on behalf of the Nigerian people has now been returned to productive use for the Nigerian people. That is reform made tangible,” he said .

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Boko Haram Denies Ceasefire with FG, Vows Continued Attacks

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Boko Haram has strongly denied reports of a ceasefire agreement with the Federal Government and insisted that it will continue its campaign of attacks.

In a statement released by the group, the militants dismissed claims of any truce or negotiated pause in hostilities, describing such reports as false and misleading.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing operations against government forces and other targets, vowing that its attacks will persist without interruption.

The denial comes against the backdrop of persistent insecurity in the northeast and other affected regions, where the group has maintained a long-standing insurgency.

Security sources note that the latest statement appears aimed at clarifying the group’s position and rejecting any suggestion of dialogue or de-escalation with the authorities.

Military and government officials have not issued an immediate detailed response to the claim, though security operations against the militants remain active. Authorities continue to urge vigilance as the group signals its intention to sustain violence.

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