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).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Amupitan’s nomination during the council meeting held on Thursday, following the expiration of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure, which ran from 2015 to October 2025.
President Tinubu noted that Amupitan, who hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, is the first person from the North-Central state to be nominated for the position. The President described him as a non-partisan and highly respected legal scholar.
Council members unanimously endorsed the nomination, with Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, commending Amupitan’s integrity and professional record.
In accordance with constitutional provisions, President Tinubu will forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for confirmation.
Born on April 25, 1967, Professor Amupitan is a distinguished academic and legal practitioner with over three decades of experience. He is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of the University of Jos and also serves as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
Amupitan earned his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Jos in 1987 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988. He obtained a Master of Laws (LLM) from the same university in 1993 and a PhD in 2007.
He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2014 and has authored several books, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008), Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008), and Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013).
Beyond academia, Amupitan has served on several boards, including Integrated Dairies Limited, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and the Council of Legal Education.
He is married and blessed with four children.
— Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), October 9, 2025
