Dare Babalola
Dr. Sam Amadi, Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, has expressed concern that Nigerians are largely unaware of the potential dangers posed by recent developments, specifically highlighting the appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a case in point.
Amadi, in a post via X on Saturday, lamented that Nigerians are focusing on Professor Joash Amupitan’s litigation skills rather than setting clear expectations and holding him accountable, urging instead that the public should prioritize demanding an agenda from him and cautioning him to avoid the alleged mistakes of his predecessor, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, as he takes on the leadership role at INEC.
According to Dr. Sam Amadi, Nigerians have adopted a troubling trend of downplaying the significance of critical national issues, instead opting to focus on superficial aspects, and in doing so, they fail to hold their leaders accountable for their actions and policies, thereby undermining the country’s progress and good governance.
Amadi said, “Nigerian people. Instead of setting an agenda for him and warning him to steer away from the ways of Mahmud, they are praising his litigation skills. What is the relationship? Nigerians are not fully conscious of the danger they face. They are trivializing everything.”
He said his reaction followed earlier comments by Yusuf Dantalle, National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), who described Amupitan as “well grounded in litigation” and capable of sanitizing Nigeria’s electoral process.
Dantalle had also while fielding questions on Arise Television, commended the foundation laid by Yakubu’s administration in terms of technological innovation at the electoral body.
Professor Amupitan, who hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, specialised in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance and Privatisation Law.
He was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in September 2014, following several years of outstanding service in academia and the legal profession.
Until his appointment as INEC Chairman, he was serving as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at UNIJOS.
Also, he served as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.
