Abuja, October 9, 2025
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).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Professor Amupitan’s name for consideration during the Council meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, following the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 to October 2025.
According to a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, President Tinubu noted that Amupitan is the first person from Kogi State in the North-Central region to be nominated for the position. He described him as a non-partisan academic with impeccable integrity and a track record of excellence.
Council members gave their unanimous support to the nomination, with Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, describing the nominee as “a man of integrity and sound moral character.”
In line with constitutional provisions, President Tinubu will transmit 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, 58, is a distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), where he currently serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration).
He holds an LLM and PhD in Law from the University of Jos and became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2014. His areas of expertise include Company Law, Evidence Law, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law.
Amupitan has held several top academic and administrative positions, including Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), Head of the Department of Public Law (2006–2008), and Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014).
Outside the university system, he has served as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council, and a member of the Council of Legal Education. He is also on the board of Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom.
A prolific author, Amupitan has written several books, 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.
