The National Council of State has unanimously approved the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) from Kogi State as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Professor Amupitan’s name to the Council during its meeting at the State House, Abuja, following the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 until October 2025.
President Tinubu noted that Professor Amupitan, who hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, is the first person from the North-Central state to be nominated for the position. He described him as an apolitical figure with an impeccable record of integrity.
Council members unanimously endorsed the nomination, with Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, describing Amupitan as “a man of integrity and deep intellectual capacity.”
In line with constitutional provisions, President Tinubu is expected to forward the nominee’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Aged 58, Professor Amupitan is a renowned legal scholar and Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of the University of Jos, Plateau State, and is also the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
An alumnus of the University of Jos, Amupitan specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance and Privatisation Law. He obtained his LL.B from UNIJOS in 1987 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988. He later earned an LL.M in 1993 and a Ph.D. in 2007, both from the same institution.
He began his academic career in 1989 after completing his National Youth Service with the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation. Over the years, he has held several positions at the University of Jos, including Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014), and Head of the Department of Public Law (2006–2008).
Beyond the academic environment, Amupitan has served on the boards of several institutions and corporations, including Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council, and the Council of Legal Education.
A prolific author, Professor Amupitan has written several influential books, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008), Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008), Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013), and Principles of Company Law (2013).
He is married and blessed with four children.
