Council of State Approves Professor Amupitan as New INEC Chairman

The National Council of State has unanimously approved the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This was disclosed in a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, on Thursday, October 9, 2025.

According to the statement, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Professor Amupitan to the Council as his nominee to fill the position vacated by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 until October 2025.

President Tinubu noted that Amupitan is the first person from Kogi State, in the North-Central zone, to be nominated for the role, describing him as “a distinguished academic and an apolitical professional committed to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions.”

Council members unanimously endorsed the nomination, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State commending Amupitan as “a man of integrity and deep intellectual capacity.”

In accordance with constitutional provisions, President Tinubu will forward the nominee’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

Born on April 25, 1967, Professor Amupitan, 58, hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law and currently serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), where he also obtained his degrees.

Amupitan, who became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2014, specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law.

He began his academic career after completing the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation (1988–1989). He obtained his LLB from the University of Jos in 1987, an LLM in 1993, and a PhD in 2007.

At UNIJOS, he has held several key positions, 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).

Outside academia, Professor Amupitan is the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State. He is also a board member of Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom, and a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.

He previously served on the Council of Legal Education (2008–2014) and as a board member of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja (1996–2004).

An accomplished author, Professor Amupitan has written several law textbooks, 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.