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The National Council of State (NCS) has unanimously approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Professor Amupitan, a legal scholar from the North-Central geopolitical zone, was presented as the nominee to the Council by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fill the vacancy created by the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure ran from 2015 to October 2025.
Briefing the Council, President Tinubu noted that Professor Amupitan, who hails from Kogi State, is the first person from the North-Central state to be nominated for the position, stressing that the nominee is apolitical.
The Council members threw their full weight behind the nomination, with Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo commending Amupitan as a man of integrity.
In line with constitutional requirements, President Tinubu will now forward Professor Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and final confirmation.
Professor Amupitan, 58, currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, Plateau State, where he is also an alumnus. He concurrently holds the position of Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria since September 2014, the nominee specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law. He was born on April 25, 1967, and is from Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Prior to his current DVC role, he held numerous key academic positions at the University of Jos, including Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012-2014), Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008-2014), and Head of Public Law (2006-2008).
Beyond his academic roles, Professor Amupitan has served on several significant boards and councils, including the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council and the Council of Legal Education (2008-2014). He is a prolific author of several law textbooks, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles and Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria.
