The National Council of State has approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Assistant to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Professor Amupitan’s name to the Council to fill the vacant position left by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who concluded his tenure in October 2025 after serving two consecutive five-year terms.
President Tinubu noted that Amupitan is the first person from Kogi State, in the North-Central geopolitical zone, to be nominated for the position. He described him as an apolitical professional with an impeccable record of integrity and scholarship.
“Council members unanimously supported the nomination, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo describing Amupitan as a man of integrity,” the statement added.
In line with constitutional provisions, the President will forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Born on April 25, 1967, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau State, and an alumnus of the same institution.
A distinguished legal scholar, Amupitan specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law. He was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in September 2014.
After completing his primary and secondary education, he attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin (1982–1984), and the University of Jos (1984–1987). He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988. He later obtained an LLM from the University of Jos in 1993 and a PhD in 2007.
His academic career began in 1989 after completing his National Youth Service with the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation. He currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos and is also the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
Professor Amupitan has held several leadership positions at the University of Jos, including Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014), Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), and Head of the Department of Public Law (2006–2008).
Beyond academia, he has contributed to national development through various board appointments. He is a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the Council of Legal Education.
He has also served on the boards of Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom, and Riss Oil Limited, Abuja.
A prolific author, Amupitan has written several books, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008), Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008), Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013), Principles of Company Law (2013), and An Introduction to the Law of Trust in Nigeria (2014).
He is married and blessed with four children.
Following Yakubu’s exit, May Agbamuche-Mbu, the oldest serving National Commissioner, currently serves as Acting Chairman of INEC pending Senate confirmation of Amupitan’s appointment.
Source: Channels TV
