The National Council of State has unanimously approved the appointment 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 Professor Amupitan’s nomination to the council during its meeting on Thursday at the State House, Abuja. The nomination comes following the end of tenure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who led the electoral body from 2015 until October 2025.
According to President Tinubu, Amupitan’s nomination marks the first time a Kogi-born academic will occupy the top electoral position. He described the nominee as “apolitical and of proven integrity.”
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Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State also praised the nomination, describing Amupitan as “a man of integrity and intellect whose appointment will strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system.”
In accordance with constitutional requirements, President Tinubu will now forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, 58, hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law and currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, Plateau State. He is also the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
Amupitan, who became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2014, specializes in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law. An alumnus of the University of Jos, he obtained his LLB in 1987, was called to the bar in 1988, earned an LLM in 1993, and completed a PhD in Law in 2007.
His academic journey includes several leadership roles — Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014), Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), and Head of the Department of Public Law (2006–2008). He began his teaching career in 1989 after completing his National Youth Service with the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation.
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Beyond academia, Amupitan has contributed to both corporate and legal governance in Nigeria. He serves on the boards of Integrated Dairies Limited, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council, and previously the Council of Legal Education (2008–2014) and Riss Oil Limited, Abuja (1996–2004).
A prolific author, his notable works include 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).
Professor Amupitan is married and blessed with four children.
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