The National Council of State has unanimously approved the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) from Kogi State as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served from 2015 to October 2025.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Amupitan’s name to the Council during its meeting on Thursday, describing him as a distinguished legal scholar and administrator with a track record of integrity and competence.
According to a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the President informed the Council that Professor Amupitan is the first person from the North-Central state of Kogi to be nominated for the position, stressing that his choice was based purely on merit and non-partisanship.
“President Tinubu told the Council that Professor Amupitan is an accomplished scholar and an apolitical individual whose commitment to fairness and institutional integrity makes him eminently qualified to lead the nation’s electoral body,” the statement said.
The Council, after deliberation, gave a unanimous nod to the President’s nomination. Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State was quoted as describing Amupitan as “a man of integrity and character who will bring honour to the office.”
Onanuga added that, “In line with constitutional provisions, the President will forward Professor Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.”
Born on April 25, 1967, in Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Professor Amupitan is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS) and currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). He is also the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria since 2014, Amupitan specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance and Privatisation Law. His academic journey began after completing his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation in 1989.
He attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin (1982–1984), obtained his LL.B from the University of Jos (1987), and was called to the Bar in 1988. He earned his LL.M in 1993 and PhD in 2007 from the same university.
Professor Amupitan has authored several influential legal texts, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008), Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013), and Principles of Company Law (2013).
Outside academia, he has served on several boards, including Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom, and the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council.
Married with four children, Amupitan’s appointment, if confirmed by the Senate, will mark the beginning of a new chapter in the leadership of Nigeria’s electoral institution