The National Council of State has endorsed the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the completion of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure.
According to a statement issued by Presidential Spokesman Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Professor Amupitan’s name to the Council during its session, seeking approval for his nomination to head the nation’s electoral body.
The President noted that Amupitan’s nomination marks the first time a person from Kogi State, in Nigeria’s North-Central region, has been selected for the role. He described the nominee as “a distinguished academic and a non-partisan professional.”
“Council members unanimously endorsed his nomination,” the statement read. “Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo described Professor Amupitan as a man of integrity and strong moral standing.”
Following the Council’s endorsement, the President is expected to forward the nominee’s name to the Senate for confirmation, in accordance with the Nigerian Constitution.
Born on April 25, 1967, in Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Professor Amupitan is a respected legal scholar and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He currently serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos (UNIJOS) and as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
A seasoned academic, Amupitan earned his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from the University of Jos in 1987 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988. He obtained his Master’s degree in Law (LL.M) from UNIJOS in 1993 and a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in 2007.
He joined the University of Jos as a lecturer in 1989 after completing his National Youth Service Corps at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation. Over the years, he has held several leadership roles, including Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), Head of Public Law Department (2006–2008), and Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014).
Outside academia, Amupitan has served on multiple boards, including Integrated Dairies Limited, Riss Oil Limited, and the Council of Legal Education. He is also a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS).
A prolific author, Professor Amupitan has written several influential legal texts, including 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).
Professor Amupitan, 58, is married and blessed with four children.
