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By Adewale Sanyaolu
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan, has appointed the immediate past Editor of Punch Newspapers, Mr. Adedayo Eriye Oketola as his Chief Press Secretary (CPS).
The appointment, which was conveyed in a letter by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, takes effect from Friday, October 24.
Oketola, a multi-award-winning journalist with over two decades of experience, previously served as Editor of The Punch Newspaper, where he earned a reputation for incisive reporting and journalistic excellence.
His appointment to INEC comes at a time when effective communication and media engagement are critical to the Commission’s mandate of ensuring free, fair and credible elections.
In the letter, Oriaran-Anthony congratulated Oketola on his appointment and urged him to execute his responsibilities with the highest standard of professionalism, upholding the integrity and transparency for which the Commission is known.
Oketola is a multiple award-winning Nigerian journalist, author and strategic communications expert with over two decades of high-impact experience in journalism, editorial leadership and media innovation.
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His outstanding journalism across several beats, including ICT, Energy, labour, business and economy, as well as news and politics, earned him over 15 prestigious local and international awards, fellowships and recognitions.
He possesses B.A in English (Literature) from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (2004); M.A in English (Literature) from the University of Ibadan (2007); Certificate in Investigative Reporting from the New England Centre for Investigative Reporting in Boston University, Massachusetts, United States (2012); LL.B from the National Open University of Nigeria (2017); Diploma in Public Relations from the Business Education Examination Council (2021).
He is an Associate of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON); a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered), Nigerian Guild of Editors and Lions Clubs International, District 404B2 Nigeria.
Oketola is an Edward R. Murrow Fellow under the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Programme and currently serves as President, International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) Alumni Association in Nigeria.
His debut book is titled, “The Catalyst: Nigerian Tech Evolution Through A Journalist’s Lens,” presented to the public in 2024.
He hosted Nigeria’s first-ever exaugural lecture by a newspaper editor to mark his transition from editorship and 20 years of service in journalism.
