The Nigerian Senate has officially confirmed President Bola Tinubu’s nominee, Joash Amupitan, as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after a rigorous screening session on Thursday.
During his screening, Amupitan pledged to uphold INEC’s independence and revealed plans to deploy drones to monitor elections and safeguard sensitive materials — a move he described as essential to ensuring transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Raising a major concern, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North) questioned how INEC would guarantee the safe transportation of election materials amid the country’s growing security challenges.
In his response, Amupitan acknowledged that insecurity poses a major threat to credible elections but assured the lawmakers that the Commission would leverage technology, intelligence sharing, and strategic partnerships with security agencies to protect both voters and electoral materials.
If implemented, Amupitan’s drone surveillance proposal could mark a turning point in Nigeria’s election management system.
