The National Council of State has given its unanimous approval for the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The announcement was made in a statement shared on X by the President’s aide, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday.
During the Council’s meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, President Bola Tinubu formally presented Amupitan’s name for consideration. The appointment comes following the completion of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s 10-year tenure in October 2025.
Tinubu informed the Council that Amupitan, a 58-year-old Professor of Law from Kogi State, is the first individual from the North-Central states to be nominated for the position.
Council members were said to have unanimously endorsed the nomination, with Kogi State 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 read.
Born on April 25, 1967, in Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Amupitan is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, where he currently serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration).
Elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2014, Amupitan’s areas of specialization include Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law.
He earned his LL.B from the University of Jos in 1987 and was called to the Bar in 1988. He later obtained his LL.M from the same institution in 1993 and completed his Ph.D. in 2007.
Amupitan began his academic journey at the University of Jos in 1989 after completing his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation.
Throughout his career, he has held key administrative positions, including Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), Head of the Department of Public Law (2006–2008), and Chairman, Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014).
He is also the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State, and serves on the boards of several institutions, such as the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom.
The accomplished legal scholar has authored several notable works, 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.
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