INEC: Professor Amupitan Nominated to Lead Electoral Commission

Nigeria’s National Council of State has given its unanimous approval to the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The nomination, presented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, positions the legal scholar to fill the crucial vacancy left by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure concluded in October 2025.President Tinubu highlighted that Professor Amupitan is the first person from Kogi State in the North-Central geopolitical zone to be nominated for the position, describing him to the Council as apolitical. Following the Council’s support, which included Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo praising Amupitan as a “man of integrity,” the President will now submit the nominee’s name to the Senate for constitutional screening and confirmation.

Background

Professor Amupitan, 58, brings a distinguished academic and legal career to the role. Born on April 25, 1967, and hailing from Ayetoro Gbede in Kogi State, he holds the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), which he attained in September 2014. He has been a Professor of Law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS) in Plateau State since embarking on his academic career in 1989. His specialisations cover key areas of corporate law and governance, including Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law. An alumnus of UNIJOS, he earned his LLM in 1993 and a PhD in 2007, and has authored several influential legal texts, such as Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013).

Beyond his professorial duties, Prof. Amupitan currently holds the administrative post of Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Administration at the University of Jos and serves concurrently as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State. His extensive administrative experience includes roles at UNIJOS as 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). He has also contributed to the wider legal community as a member of the Governing Council for both the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the Council of Legal Education.