The National Council of State has unanimously approved the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The decision followed a presentation by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who nominated the legal scholar to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure ended in October 2025 after serving since 2015.
President Tinubu noted that Professor Amupitan, a native of Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, is the first person from the North-Central to be nominated for the position. He described him as “apolitical and a man of proven integrity.”
Council members endorsed the nomination, with Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, commending the choice, describing Amupitan as “a man of character and intellect whose experience will strengthen Nigeria’s electoral system.”
In line with constitutional provisions, the President is expected to forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Born on April 25, 1967, Professor Amupitan is a Professor of Law and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos. He also serves as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council at Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) since 2014, Amupitan specializes in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law. He began his academic career in 1989 after completing his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation.
Throughout his career, he has held several key positions including Dean, Faculty of Law, Chairman, Committee of Deans and Directors, and Head of Public Law Department at the University of Jos.
Professor Amupitan has also served on the Council of Legal Education, the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and boards of various organizations.
He is the author of several law books, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008) and Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013).
Amupitan is married and blessed with four children.
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