The National Council of State has unanimously approved the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) from Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The approval followed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presentation of Amupitan’s nomination to the Council during its meeting on Thursday. The appointment is to fill the vacancy created by the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 to October 2025.
According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, President Tinubu described Amupitan as an apolitical individual and the first person from Kogi State to be nominated for the role.
Council members unanimously endorsed the nomination, with Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, commending Amupitan as a man of integrity and distinction.
In line with constitutional provisions, President Tinubu is expected to forward the nominee’s name to the Senate for 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, Plateau State, where he 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.
An alumnus of the University of Jos, Amupitan holds an LLB (1987), LLM (1993), and PhD (2007) from the same institution. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 after completing his studies at the Nigerian Law School.
His academic career began in 1989 following his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation. Over the years, he has held several key positions at UNIJOS, 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, Professor Amupitan has served on various boards and professional bodies, including the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, the Council of Legal Education, and Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom. He also served as a board member of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja, between 1996 and 2004.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria since 2014, Amupitan is widely published, with notable works 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.