The National Council of State (NCS) has approved the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The announcement was made via a State House press release signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy on Thursday.
The announcement followed the exit of the immediate past Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served from 2015 until October 2025.
President Bola Tinubu presented Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) from the North-Central geopolitical zone, as his nominee for the vacant post.
The President informed the council that the nominee, who hails from Kogi State, is apolitical and the first person from the state to be nominated for the position.
The council members unanimously endorsed the nomination, with Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo describing Amupitan as a man of integrity.
In compliance with constitutional requirements, Tinubu will now forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Amupitan, 58, is a distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau State, where he also serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration).
Born on April 25, 1967, he is a native of Ayetoro Gbede in the Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
His academic specialisations include Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law. He attained the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in September 2014.
An alumnus of the University of Jos, Professor Amupitan holds an LL.B (1987), an LL.M (1993), and a Ph.D. (2007) from the institution, having begun his academic career there in 1989.
Prior to his DVC role, he served the university in various capacities, 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).
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Beyond his academic duties, he holds the positions of Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
His professional service also includes membership in the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council and a former member of the Council of Legal Education (2008-2014).
Amupitan is a prolific author of several legal texts, including Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013) and Principles of Company Law (2013).
He is married and has four children.
