Nigeria’s National Council of State has endorsed the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
President Bola Tinubu presented his name during the council meeting in Abuja to replace Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose decade-long tenure ended in October 2025.
“Council members unanimously supported the nomination,” the presidency said in a statement by Bayo Onanuga. “Governor Ahmed Ododo described Professor Amupitan as a man of integrity.”
Tinubu will now forward his nomination to the Senate for screening and confirmation, in line with the Constitution.
From Kogi to the Helm of Nigeria’s Elections
Joash Amupitan, 58, hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. His nomination marks the first time someone from the North-Central state will head Nigeria’s electoral body.
He studied Law at the University of Jos, where he now serves as a Professor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). Over the years, his teaching and leadership have shaped many of Nigeria’s top lawyers.
Amupitan’s expertise cuts across Company Law, Corporate Governance, the Law of Evidence, and Privatisation Law. He was called to the Bar in 1988 and became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2014.
A Lifetime in the Halls of Learning
After earning his first degree in 1987, he obtained an LLM in 1993 and a PhD in 2007 — both from the University of Jos. His academic journey began shortly after his youth service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presides over the Meeting of Council of State in the State House (Hybrid Format) pic.twitter.com/gvMa3HjGMa
— Daddy D.O🇳🇬 (@DOlusegun) October 9, 2025
At UNIJOS, he has served as Dean of the Faculty of Law, Head of the Department of Public Law, and Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors. He also chairs the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.
Beyond the classroom, Amupitan sits on several boards, including the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom.
Scholar, Reformer, and Family Man
Amupitan has written widely acclaimed books such as Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008), Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013), and Principles of Company Law (2013).
His nomination has been welcomed as a step toward academic integrity and professional rigour at INEC — a body often accused of inefficiency and partisanship.
Now, Nigerians watch to see how his intellect and discipline will shape the country’s electoral reforms ahead of 2027.
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