The National Council of State has unanimously approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) from the North-Central zone as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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. According to the President, Amupitan is the first individual from Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria, to be nominated for the role, describing him as apolitical and eminently qualified for the task.
The nomination received unanimous support from council members. Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State described the nominee as “a man of integrity.” Following the council’s endorsement, President Tinubu will forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening in line with constitutional provisions.
Born on April 25, 1967, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is currently a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau State, where he also serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). An alumnus of the same university, he specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law.
Amupitan began his education at Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, where he studied from 1982 to 1984, before proceeding to the University of Jos, where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 1987. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988. He earned a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Jos in 1993 and later obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in 2007.
His academic career began in 1989 after completing his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation. Over the years, he has held several administrative and academic positions, including Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014), Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), and Head of the Department of Public Law (2006–2008) at the University of Jos.
Outside academia, Amupitan serves as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State. He is also a board member of Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom; a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies; and a member of the Council of Legal Education (2008–2014). Between 1996 and 2004, he served on the board of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria since September 2014, Professor Amupitan has authored several authoritative books, 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.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, signed the statement issued on Wednesday, October 9, 2025.
