The National Council of State has 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 to the Council to fill the position vacated by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 to October 2025.
President Tinubu described Professor Amupitan as an accomplished legal scholar and the first nominee from Kogi State in the North-Central region to head the electoral body. Council members unanimously endorsed the nomination, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State describing him as a man of integrity and competence.
In line with constitutional procedure, President Tinubu will forward Professor Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Professor Amupitan, 58, is from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), where he currently serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). He is also the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.
A graduate of the University of Jos, Amupitan earned his LLB and LLM degrees before obtaining his PhD in Law in 2007. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 and became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2014. His areas of expertise include Company Law, Corporate Governance, Law of Evidence, and Privatisation Law.
He has held several key positions at the University of Jos, including Dean of the Faculty of Law, Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors, and Head of the Department of Public Law.
Outside the academic environment, Professor Amupitan has served on various boards, including Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom and the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council. He is also a former member of the Council of Legal Education.
The legal scholar is the author of several notable books such as Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008), Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008), and Principles of Company Law (2013).
Professor Amupitan is married and blessed with four children.
