Joy Yesufu, Abuja
The National Council of State has unanimously approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) from Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Amupitan’s nomination to the Council during its meeting at the Presidential Villa on Thursday.
The nomination follows the completion of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 to October 2025.
A statement by the special advice to the president, (Information and Strategy) Bayo Onanuga said president Tinubu described Amupitan as the first person from Kogi State to be nominated for the position and commended his “unblemished record and non-partisan disposition.”
Council members unanimously endorsed the nomination, with Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, describing the law professor as “a man of integrity and deep commitment to national service.”
In line with constitutional requirements, President Tinubu is expected to forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for confirmation.
Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, 58, is a renowned legal scholar and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He hails from Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
He is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, where he currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). Amupitan also holds the position of Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
An alumnus of the University of Jos, he specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law. He earned his Ph.D. in Law from the same university in 2007 and was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2014.
Since joining the University of Jos in 1989, Amupitan has held several key academic and administrative positions, 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 academia, he has contributed to public service as a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the Council of Legal Education. He has also served on the boards of Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom, and Riss Oil Limited, Abuja.
A prolific author, Amupitan has written several notable books, 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).
He is married and blessed with four children.
