BREAKING: Council of State approves Professor Amupitan as new INEC Chairman
The National Council of State has unanimously approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Amupitan’s name to the Council during its meeting at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday, following the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 until October 2025.
President Tinubu noted that Amupitan, who hails from Kogi State in the North-Central region, is the first person from the state to be nominated for the position. The President described him as apolitical and well-qualified for the role.
Council members unanimously endorsed the nomination. Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State described Amupitan as “a man of integrity” whose appointment would further strengthen confidence in the nation’s electoral process. In line with constitutional provisions, President Tinubu will forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Amupitan, 58, from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), where he also serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). He is an alumnus of the same institution and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, elevated to the rank in September 2014.
He specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law. His academic career began in 1989 after completing the National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation. He holds an LLM and a PhD in Law from the University of Jos.
Beyond academia, Amupitan serves as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State. He has also been a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the Council of Legal Education, among other roles.
A prolific author, Amupitan has written several books, 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). He is married and blessed with four children.
