The National Council of State has approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, representing the North-Central region, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said President Bola Tinubu presented Professor Amupitan as his nominee to fill the vacancy created by the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 until October 2025.
President Tinubu, while presenting the nominee, said Amupitan is the first person from Kogi State, in the North-Central region, to be nominated for the position and described him as an apolitical individual committed to fairness and institutional reform.
The Council members unanimously endorsed the nomination, with Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Odododo describing Professor Amupitan as “a man of integrity, intellect, and proven leadership.”
In line with constitutional provisions, President Tinubu will now forward the nomination to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Profile of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan
Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, 58, hails from Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau State, where he also earned his degrees.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) since 2014, Amupitan specialises in company law, evidence law, corporate governance, and privatisation law.
Born on April 25, 1967, he attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, between 1982 and 1984, and proceeded to the University of Jos, where he obtained his LL.B in 1987. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 and completed his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation, Bauchi. He later earned an LL.M in 1993 and a PhD in Law in 2007.
Professor Amupitan began his academic career at the University of Jos in 1989, where he has held several administrative and academic positions, including Head of the Department of Public Law (2006–2008), Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), and Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014). He is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the university and also serves as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
Beyond the academia, Amupitan sits on the boards of several institutions and companies, including Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom; the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies; and the Council of Legal Education (2008–2014). He was also a board member of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja, from 1996 to 2004.
An accomplished author, Professor Amupitan has published several influential works, 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).
