The National Council of State has approved the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented the nomination of the Kogi-born legal scholar during the Council meeting held on Thursday to fill the vacancy left by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure ended in October 2025 after serving as INEC Chairman since 2015.
Tinubu described Professor Amupitan as a distinguished academic and legal expert with a record of integrity, noting that he is the first person from Kogi State to be nominated for the position.
Council members unanimously endorsed the nomination, with Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, describing Amupitan as a man of deep intellect and character.
In line with constitutional requirements, the President will forward the nominee’s name to the Senate for confirmation.
Professor Amupitan, 58, is from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, and also serves as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria since 2014, Amupitan specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law.
He obtained his LLB, LLM, and PhD degrees from the University of Jos, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988. He began his academic career in 1989 after completing his National Youth Service Corps programme at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation.
Amupitan has authored several widely referenced books, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008), Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008), and Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013).
He is married and blessed with four children.
