By George Ozalla
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’s meeting at the State House, following the expiration of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure in October 2025, after serving as INEC Chairman since 2015.
President Tinubu informed the Council that Professor Amupitan, 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 distinguished academic and an apolitical professional with impeccable credentials.
Council members unanimously endorsed the nomination, with Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, commending Amupitan’s integrity and commitment to excellence. In line with constitutional provisions, the President is expected to forward his name to the Senate for confirmation.
According to a press statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Professor Amupitan, aged 58, is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau State, where he also serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). He is an alumnus of the same institution and specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law. He attained the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in September 2014.
Born on April 25, 1967, Amupitan began his educational journey at Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin (1982–1984), before proceeding to the University of Jos, where he earned his LL.B in 1987. He was called to the Bar in 1988, completed his LL.M in 1993, and obtained his PhD in 2007. His academic career commenced in 1989 after his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation.
Over the years, he has held several key positions at the University of Jos, 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). Beyond academia, he serves as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State, and sits on several corporate and legal boards, including Integrated Dairies Limited, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and the Council of Legal Education.
Professor Amupitan is also a prolific author of several legal texts, among them Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008), Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008), Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013), and Principles of Company Law (2013).
He is married and blessed with four children.
