The National Council of State has approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, from Kogi State in the North-Central region, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The decision was announced in a statement on Thursday by Presidential Spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, who said President Bola Tinubu presented Amupitan’s name to the council to fill the vacancy created by the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served from 2015 until October 2025.
According to the statement, President Tinubu informed the council that Amupitan is the first nominee from Kogi State to be put forward for the INEC chairmanship and described him as apolitical and deeply committed to integrity and fairness.
“Council members unanimously supported the nomination, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo describing Amupitan as a man of integrity.
“In compliance with the constitution, President Tinubu will now send Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening,” the statement added.
Born on April 25, 1967, in Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Professor Amupitan, 58, is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), where he also serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). He is an alumnus of the same university.
A legal scholar with specialisation in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law, Amupitan earned the prestigious Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) title in September 2014.
After his early education, he attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin (1982–1984) before obtaining his LLB from the University of Jos in 1987. He was called to the Bar in 1988 and later earned an LLM (1993) and a PhD (2007) from UNIJOS.
He began his academic career in 1989 following his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation, and has since held several leadership positions within the university, including Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014), and Head of Public Law (2006–2008).
Beyond academia, Amupitan is Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State. He also serves on the boards of Integrated Dairies Limited, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and the Council of Legal Education.
A prolific author, Amupitan has written extensively on corporate and evidence law, with 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)