The National Council of State has approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), from the North-Central region, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented the nomination during a Council of State meeting held on Thursday in Abuja, following the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 until October 2025.
The announcement was made in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
According to Onanuga, President Tinubu informed the Council that Professor Amupitan is the first person from Kogi State, in Nigeria’s North-Central zone, to be nominated for the position. He described Amupitan as a distinguished academic and an apolitical nominee.
The Council unanimously supported the nomination. Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo commended the choice, describing Amupitan as “a man of integrity.”
In line with constitutional provisions, President Tinubu will now forward the nomination to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
About Professor Joash Amupitan
Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, 58, hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a renowned Professor of Law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), where he also currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration).
An alumnus of UNIJOS, he obtained his LLB in 1987, was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988, earned his LLM in 1993, and completed his PhD in Law in 2007. His academic career began in 1989 following his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation.
A legal scholar with expertise in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law, Amupitan was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in September 2014.
He has held several leadership roles at UNIJOS, including:
Dean, Faculty of Law (2008–2014)
Chairman, Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014)
Head, Department of Public Law (2006–2008)
Beyond the university, Amupitan is the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State. He is also a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and has served on the Council of Legal Education (2008–2014).
His corporate experience includes board memberships at Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom; and previously at Riss Oil Limited, Abuja (1996–2004).
Publications
Professor Amupitan is a widely published legal author. His notable works include:
Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008)
Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008)
Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013)
Principles of Company Law (2013)
An Introduction to the Law of Trust in Nigeria (2014)
He is married and has four children.
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Joash Amupitan Nominated As New INEC Chairman.
The National Council of State has approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), from the North-Central region, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented the nomination during a Council of State meeting held on Thursday in Abuja, following the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 until October 2025.
The announcement was made in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
According to Onanuga, President Tinubu informed the Council that Professor Amupitan is the first person from Kogi State, in Nigeria’s North-Central zone, to be nominated for the position. He described Amupitan as a distinguished academic and an apolitical nominee.
The Council unanimously supported the nomination. Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo commended the choice, describing Amupitan as “a man of integrity.”
In line with constitutional provisions, President Tinubu will now forward the nomination to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, 58, hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a renowned Professor of Law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), where he also currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration).
An alumnus of UNIJOS, he obtained his LLB in 1987, was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988, earned his LLM in 1993, and completed his PhD in Law in 2007. His academic career began in 1989 following his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation.
A legal scholar with expertise in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law, Amupitan was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in September 2014.
He has held several leadership roles at UNIJOS, including:
Dean, Faculty of Law (2008–2014)
Chairman, Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014)
Head, Department of Public Law (2006–2008)
Beyond the university, Amupitan is the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State. He is also a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and has served on the Council of Legal Education (2008–2014).
His corporate experience includes board memberships at Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom; and previously at Riss Oil Limited, Abuja (1996–2004).
He is married and has four children.