The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has approved the appointment of a former Editor of The PUNCH newspaper, Adedayo Oketola, as his Chief Press Secretary.
The appointment followed the exit of Rotimi Oyekanmi, who previously served as CPS to the immediate past INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
According to a daily bulletin released on Monday by the Editor-in-Chief and Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, the appointment was formally conveyed in a letter signed by the secretary to the commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, dated Friday, October 24, 2025.
“The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan SAN, has approved the appointment of Mr. Adedayo Eriye Oketola as his Chief Press Secretary.
“The appointment was officially conveyed in a letter signed by the secretary to the commission, Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, dated Friday, 24th October 2025,” it read.
The commission noted Oketola’s track record as a “multi-award-winning journalist with nearly two decades of experience,” recognised for his “inclusive reporting and journalistic excellence.”
Oketola previously served as News Editor and Business Editor of The PUNCH and was Assistant Editor of News & Politics for Saturday PUNCH.
During his tenure as Editor of The PUNCH, he was named Editor of the Year at the 2023 Nigeria Media Merit Awards, where the newspaper also won the Newspaper of the Year award.
He was similarly honoured as Editor of the Year at The Industry Awards in 2023 and is a two-time recipient of the Zimeo Excellence in Media Awards held in Johannesburg (2015) and Nairobi (2016).
Upon assuming office on Thursday, Amupitan reaffirmed his commitment to integrity, transparency, and discipline in managing Nigeria’s electoral process.
He also pledged to prioritise staff welfare and promote teamwork and accountability across the commission.
The INEC secretary, in her congratulatory message, urged Oketola to discharge his duties with professionalism and uphold the values of transparency and integrity that define the commission.
