An interview granted by the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, on February 25, 2020, has resurfaced online.

The National Council of State, presided over by President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, approved the nomination of Amupitan as the new Chairman of INEC.

His nomination followed Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s exit on Tuesday after completing two terms as chairman of the electoral body.

Shortly after the news of his nomination, an old video clip of his interview on Channels Television’s program Politics Today resurfaced online.

The interview was a debate on the retention or removal of the immunity clause enshrined in Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Amupitan argued that in countries where leaders enjoy immunity, there is a well-established tradition of trust.

According to him, Nigeria is yet to build such a tradition, insisting that Nigerians play “politics of power and not the politics of the people.”

He said:

*”The concept of immunity arose as a result of tradition from England, where it is assumed that the Queen can do no wrong.

“The tradition was built over the years that the Queen can be entrusted with anything and then you can go sleep.

“In Nigeria, the problem we have with immunity, even starting from the executive, is that immunity leads to impunity.

“That type of tradition that the United States and Britain have built, we are yet to have it in Nigeria. In Nigeria, we play the politics of power and not the politics of the people.”*