Osun Election: Where Is Professor Amupitan? Garba Shehu Questions INEC Chairman’s Whereabouts

A former Senior Special Assistant to the late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, has raised questions on the whereabouts of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan.

In a statement on 𝕏 on Tuesday, Shehu praised the chairman of the national electoral umpire for the conduct of the Commission during the just concluded Osun State governorship election.

The former presidential aide, who claimed to have never met Amupitan, wondered why the INEC chairman is not all over television stations signing his praise over the conduct of the Osun election.

Admitting he initially had reservations over Amupitan’s fitness for the post, Shehu said Amupitan hasn’t picked the microphone, 48 hours after the polls, or appeared before the TV cameras to proudly show off the success.

His statement read: “Where is Professor Amupitan?

“I don’t know him, and we never met. 

“I have no reason to wish to meet him, either. When they nominated him as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the nation received the shocking disclosure of his 2020 legal brief to the international community in which he claimed that the violence in the country was a Muslim pogrom against Christians. 

“The violence affected and still affects followers of all religions and speakers of every language.

“For this reason, I, among many others, felt bad about the assertion he made and assumed that he was not a good choice for that office. This country’s elections had incrementally got better with each new leadership. 

“Professor Jega gave the nation its best election since the disputed June 12, 1993, that produced Chief MKO Abiola, now recognised as a duly elected president who did not, however, take the office. 

“Professor Mahmud Yakubu did the impossible by rallying the civil society, CSOs, and local and foreign observers to approve all his elections. 

“Not one election under him was ever rejected by any serious observer or CSO.

“Now, look at what has just happened in Osun state. Under Amupitan’s leadership, the country has attained a transparent electoral process. 

“Everyone – civil society, the EU, local and foreign observers are commending this standout performance, praising the exceptional skill and determination to improve the process as manifested by INEC’s seamless uploading of the governorship election results to its IReV. 

“With all the loud acclaim that followed, however, I have been asking myself, where is the captain of the ship, Professor Amupitan?

“He hasn’t picked the microphone, 48 hours hence, or appeared before the TV cameras to proudly show off the success. Where is he? 

“We are a country of wilful behaviour, chest beating public officials who are proudly and aggressively proclaiming success without achieving half of what we are talking about here. Where is he?

“We are not used to seeing this kind of humility, patience, and restraint. Isn’t it fair that the man should come out of his shell and dance to the drums in celebration?”