Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has cautioned the reappointed Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Oyo State, Professor Adeniran Tella, against any action capable of undermining the integrity of the electoral process.
Speaking on Tuesday during the swearing-in ceremony at the Commission’s headquarters, Amupitan reiterated INEC’s commitment to delivering elections that are free, fair, credible, transparent and fully reflective of the will of the Nigerian electorate. He charged the Oyo REC to maintain unwavering professionalism, stressing that the Commission would not tolerate any deviation from its established values and procedures.
“The integrity of our elections is non-negotiable,” the INEC Chairman said. “You must uphold the highest standards of professionalism in every action you take. Any compromise on our values or our procedures shall not be tolerated. We also have a moral and legal obligation to ensure the electoral system remains above reproach.”
Professor Amupitan argued that only a transparent and manipulation-free process would rebuild citizens’ confidence and reduce the growing voter apathy witnessed across elections. He underscored INEC’s resolve to eliminate all forms of electoral malpractice, including vote-buying, noting that public trust in the Commission must remain “sacred.”
He added: “Your primary goal must be to instill in voters the confidence that their choice counts. Go forth and work collaboratively with our staff to ensure Oyo State becomes a beacon of democratic values. The eyes of the nation are upon us.”
In his response, Professor Tella pledged to uphold the principles of fairness, neutrality and strict compliance with the Electoral Act. The returning REC outlined his immediate priorities, including strengthened voter education efforts, improved logistics planning, continuous voter registration, stricter oversight of election personnel and a more efficient results-management framework anchored on real-time transmission and public display of results.
Tella assured that under his leadership, the Oyo State office would remain committed to transparent processes that deepen trust in Nigeria’s electoral system.
