Professor Joash Amupitan, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, pledged on Tuesday to crush all election rigging, including vote-buying, ahead of the 2027 polls. He made the vow at INEC headquarters in Abuja during the swearing-in of Professor Adeniran Tella as Resident Electoral Commissioner for Oyo State. Amupitan, who assumed leadership in October, stressed that public trust in the electoral body remains sacred and non-negotiable.
He urged Tella to uphold transparency and follow every guideline in the Electoral Act without fail. “Any compromise on our values or procedures shall not be tolerated,” Amupitan warned. He called the integrity of elections the bedrock of Nigeria’s democracy, with the nation watching closely.
Amupitan described the ceremony as a solemn call to duty. He placed Tella at the forefront of the democratic drive in Oyo State. Tella hailed the chairman’s words as rich in wisdom and experience.
This firm stance offers a glimmer of hope to voters weary of stolen ballots and tainted choices. In a democracy scarred by deceit, such resolve could mend frayed faith, shielding the people’s voice from the shadows of fraud.