Council Of State Approves Tinubu’s Nominee Amupitan As New INEC Chairman

Council Approves Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as New INEC Chairman

The National Council of State has approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Assistant to the President on Information and Strategy.

According to the statement, President Bola Tinubu presented Professor Amupitan’s nomination to the council to fill the position left vacant following the completion of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure, which spanned from 2015 to October 2025.

President Tinubu noted that Amupitan, who hails from Kogi State in the North-Central region, is the first person from the state to be nominated for the role and described him as apolitical.

“Council members unanimously endorsed the nomination, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo commending Amupitan as a man of integrity,” Onanuga said.

In line with constitutional requirements, President Tinubu will forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

Profile of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN

Born on April 25, 1967, Professor Amupitan is a native of 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 also holds the position of Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council at Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.

A specialist in Company Law, Evidence Law, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law, Amupitan became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2014. He obtained his LLB and LLM from the University of Jos and earned a PhD in Law from the same institution in 2007.

His academic career began in 1989 after his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation. Over the years, he has held several leadership roles at the University of Jos, including Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014), and Head of the Department of Public Law (2006–2008).

Beyond academia, Amupitan has served on various boards, including Integrated Dairies Limited, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council, and the Council of Legal Education. He also previously sat on the board of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja.

An accomplished author, he has written several influential legal texts, including 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).

He is married and blessed with four children.

Following the conclusion of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure, May Agbamuche-Mbu, the oldest serving National Commissioner, has assumed office as the Acting INEC Chairman pending the Senate’s confirmation of Amupitan’s appointment.