Over 1,000 lawyers under the umbrella of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) have called for the disqualification of Professor Joash Amupitan as the proposed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), citing alleged conflict of interest and violation of ethical codes.

In a strongly worded letter addressed to the Senate President through the Committee on Electoral Matters, the lawyers—many of whom are staff and consultants to the National Assembly—warned that Amupitan’s previous role as Legal Counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 Presidential Election Petition constitutes a clear case of bias.

They argued that his political ties breach Section 5 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act and Section 19 of the ICPC Act, both of which prohibit public officers from engaging in actions that could compromise impartiality.

According to ALDRAP, Amupitan’s nomination “fails to meet the qualifications required for the office of the INEC chairman,” urging the Senate to reject the President’s nomination letter outright without referring it to the Committee on Electoral Matters.

The group cited precedent, referencing the Senate’s 2021 disqualification of Lauretta Onochie, another nominee linked to the APC, as justification for a similar decision in this case.

“Professor Amupitan’s previous position as lead legal counsel to the APC at the Supreme Court automatically disqualifies him from leading an electoral body expected to remain neutral,” the association stated.

The lawyers further emphasized that with over 200,000 legal practitioners in Nigeria, the President has more than enough qualified and non-partisan candidates to choose from. “If the position must be filled by a lawyer, there are not less than 100,000 Nigerian lawyers without political affiliations who are competent and impartial,” the letter added.

ALDRAP concluded by warning that if the Senate proceeds with Amupitan’s confirmation, the association will initiate legal action against the legislative body to uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.