By Ajewole Joshua
ABUJA (ABNews)— The National Council of State has unanimously approved the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following his nomination by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The approval came during the council’s meeting held Thursday at the State House, Abuja, where President Tinubu presented Amupitan as his choice to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure ended in October 2025 after ten years in office.
President Tinubu described Amupitan as an “apolitical scholar with integrity,” noting that he is the first person from Kogi State in the North-Central zone to be nominated for the top electoral position. The council endorsed the nomination without opposition, with Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo hailing Amupitan as “a man of character and competence.”
In accordance with constitutional provisions, the President will forward the nominee’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Profile of the Nominee
Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, born on April 25, 1967, in Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, is a distinguished legal scholar and Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He currently serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos (UNIJOS) and also chairs the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
A graduate of UNIJOS, Amupitan obtained his LLB, LLM, and PhD from the institution and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988. His areas of specialisation include Company Law, Corporate Governance, Privatisation Law, and the Law of Evidence.
He has held several leadership roles at the University of Jos, including Dean of the Faculty of Law, Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors, and Head of the Department of Public Law.
Outside academia, Amupitan has served on the boards of Integrated Dairies Limited (Vom), Riss Oil Limited (Abuja), and as a member of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council and the Council of Legal Education.
A prolific author, he has written several books on law, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008), Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013), and Principles of Company Law (2013).
The 58-year-old professor is married and blessed with four children.
–ABNews | October 9, 2025
