INEC Chairman Says God Sent Him Before Accepting Appointment

Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, has disclosed that he only accepted his appointment after receiving a clear divine message from God, stating that he would have rejected the role without such spiritual assurance. The INEC Chairman made the revelation on Wednesday in Abuja at an end-of-tenure appreciation service organized by the Nigerian Baptist Convention in honour of its outgoing president, Reverend Israel Akanji, and his wife, Victoria. Speaking before a congregation of Baptist faithful, Amupitan declared that the Lord spoke to him before he accepted the job, saying: “Fear not; do not be dismayed. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you.” He told the gathering that he heard those words clearly and that it was that conviction alone that propelled him to accept the offer to lead the country’s electoral body. “If I didn’t have the conviction for this job, I would not accept it. But I had a conviction very clearly that the Lord said, ‘Fear not, do not be dismayed. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you.’ I heard this clearly before I accepted this job,” Amupitan told the congregation.

The INEC Chairman’s testimony drew sustained applause from the audience, and he used the platform to call for sustained prayers as the commission prepares for the 2027 general elections. He expressed confidence that with divine backing, Nigeria could conduct its most credible polls yet. “No matter the storm, no matter the difficulty, God is able to calm every storm. That is what God has been doing,” he said. “Continue to pray for Nigeria, continue to pray for us, and continue to pray for me that the 2027 election will be the best ever. I cannot do it on my own, but with the Lord on my side, it is possible, and it is doable”. He further stressed that his experience in office so far has reinforced his belief that divine guidance is essential for anyone occupying such a sensitive role. “If God does not send you somewhere, do not go there, including the ministry; if God does not send you, do not do it. I cannot do it on my own, but with God on my side, it is possible,” he added.

Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu in October 2025 to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose decade-long tenure ended on October 7, 2025. His appointment was unanimously approved by the National Council of State and subsequently confirmed by the Senate, making him the sixth substantive chairman of the commission since its establishment. Born on April 25, 1967, in Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Amupitan boasts an illustrious academic and legal career spanning over three decades. He served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos and also doubled as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State. A scholar of company law, corporate governance, and evidence law, he is the first Kogi-born nominee to lead the electoral body, a symbolic milestone for the North-Central region.

This is not the first time Amupitan has framed his role in spiritual terms. Upon assuming office in October 2025, he told staff at the commission’s headquarters that he was on a “divine mandate” and that his coming signalled the birthing of a new Nigeria. “I am here for a purpose. Maybe if I had a choice, I would have said I would not come here. But from all indications, I can see that God is moving this country, and my coming is divine. With God saying go, who am I to say no? I am here because I have a role to play to ensure that a new Nigeria is birthed,” he said at the time. His recurring emphasis on divine guidance has drawn both admiration and criticism, given the highly sensitive nature of the electoral commission’s work and the increasing politicisation of religious identity in Nigeria’s public discourse.

Indeed, Amupitan’s appointment has not been without controversy. In February 2026, the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) called for his removal and prosecution, arguing that his past comments, in which he reportedly accused Nigerian Muslims of genocide against Christians, disqualified him from holding such a sensitive position. The SCSN insisted that its position had nothing to do with religion but was based on concerns over impartiality. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and the FCT rejected the call, asserting that freedom of religion is a constitutional right and that expressing concern over challenges faced by one’s faith does not amount to bias or disqualification from public service. Several Christian groups and clerics also rallied behind Amupitan, warning that threats of an election boycott along religious lines could heighten tensions and erode public confidence in Nigeria’s democracy.

Amupitan has also faced other challenges. In April 2026, a forensic investigation cleared him of involvement in a fake X (formerly Twitter) account that had circulated a partisan post, while a Federal High Court struck out a contempt suit seeking to commit him to prison for alleged disobedience to a court order. Despite these distractions, Amupitan has maintained that his focus remains on restoring public confidence in the electoral process. He has pledged to deliver free, fair, and credible elections and has prioritised staff welfare and technological upgrades at the commission.

As Nigeria inches toward the 2027 general elections, Amupitan’s spiritual framing of his leadership has added a unique dimension to the national conversation. For his supporters, it is a reassuring declaration of faith and integrity. For his critics, it raises questions about the separation of personal conviction from public duty. What remains undisputed is that Professor Joash Amupitan carries into the nation’s most sensitive electoral office not only a legal mind and decades of academic rigour but also, by his own account, a mandate from heaven. The coming months will test whether that divine backing translates into the credible polls he has promised.

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