The chairman of the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has appointed a former PUNCH newspaper editor, Adedayo Oketola, as his Chief Press Secretary (CPS).
The appointment, which was introduced by the fee on Monday, marks a brand new chapter in INEC’s communication and public engagement technique. Oketola replaces Rotimi Oyekanmi, who served as CPS beneath the immediate-past INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
A a number of award-winning journalist and seasoned newsroom chief, Oketola brings to the position almost twenty years {of professional} expertise spanning information reporting, enterprise journalism, and editorial administration.
Earlier than his new appointment, Oketola served as Editor of The PUNCH, throughout which the newspaper received the coveted Newspaper of the 12 months award on the 2023 Nigeria Media Benefit Awards (NMMA). He was additionally honoured as Editor of the 12 months on the identical occasion.
He had beforehand served as Information Editor, Enterprise Editor, and Assistant Editor (Information & Politics) of Saturday PUNCH. In recognition of his excellent journalism, Oketola additionally received The Trade Awards’ Editor of the 12 months (2022) and is a two-time Zimeo Excellence in Media Award winner (2015, 2016) in Johannesburg and Nairobi, respectively.
In the meantime, INEC Chairman Prof. Amupitan has restated his dedication to integrity, transparency, and self-discipline within the administration of Nigeria’s electoral course of.
Talking shortly after his swearing-in final week, Amupitan mentioned his appointment was a divine calling to serve the nation.
“I’m right here for a goal. Possibly if I had a selection, I might have mentioned I might not come right here. However from all indications, I can see that God is shifting this nation, and my coming is divine. With God saying go, who am I to say no? I’m right here as a result of I’ve a job to play to make sure that a brand new Nigeria is birthed,” he mentioned.
He emphasised teamwork, accountability, and credible elections as core priorities of his administration, stressing that the success of the fee depends upon synergy amongst its workers and departments.
“Our mandate could be very clear, to ship free, honest, and credible elections that replicate the desire of the individuals. The integrity of our elections shouldn’t be negotiable. Each voter should really feel assured that their vote counts,” Amupitan declared.
The INEC boss additionally assured workers of improved welfare, pledging to offer a conducive working surroundings and the assets vital to attain excellence.
“For me, workers welfare goes to be a precedence. We’ll anticipate rather a lot from you, and due to that, you additionally need to be well-equipped and supported to ship. We’ll work assiduously to make sure that your working situations are conducive and that you’ve got the required assets to excel,” he said.
