National Council of State Approves Appointment of Prof. Amupitan as INEC Chairman

The National Council of State has approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) from the North-Central region as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Amupitan’s name to the Council to fill the vacancy created by the exit of 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 region to be nominated for the position.

The Council unanimously endorsed the nomination, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo describing Amupitan as a man of integrity.

In accordance with constitutional requirements, the President will forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

Professor Amupitan, 58, hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau State, where he specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law.

He was called to the Bar in 1988 and elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in September 2014. Born on April 25, 1967, Amupitan currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, while also holding the position of Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.

His previous academic roles at the University of Jos include 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).

Outside academia, Amupitan is a board member of Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom, and has served on the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the Council of Legal Education (2008–2014).

He is also the author of several notable 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).