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Professor Chidi Odinkalu, former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), says Joash Amupitan, the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is a man of integrity.
Odinkalu said Amupitan’s character is not in doubt but warned that his integrity could be tested by what he called the “multiple principalities” within the electoral body.
He said INEC is difficult to manage because of entrenched political interests and the influence of politicians who “own” workers within the commission.
“But when I said that INEC is a place dominated by multiple principalities, that’s exactly the point I was trying to make,” Odinkalu said.
“There is no senior politician, from the presidency to state governors, who does not have a plant in INEC.
“I’m not a particularly religious person, but I’ll tell him that because he is who he is, I’ll be praying for him.”
Odinkalu advised Amupitan to set clear priorities and determine measurable goals for his tenure.
The former NHRC chairman said Nigerians would judge Amupitan’s leadership by how he manages the November 8 Anambra governorship election, describing it as his first major test.
