By Obinna Uballa
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the completion of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure in October 2025.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, announced the appointment in a statement on Thursday, saying the National Council of State approved the nomination after its meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the statement, President Tinubu presented Amupitan’s name to the Council as his nominee to lead the electoral body, describing him as “eminently qualified” and “a man of integrity who represents a fresh start for the Commission as the country prepares for critical elections.”
Onanuga said Council members unanimously endorsed the President’s choice, with Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, praising the appointee’s record of professional excellence and character.
Tinubu is expected to forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for confirmation in line with constitutional provisions.
Amupitan, 58, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Professor of Law from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, becomes the first person from the state to be nominated as INEC Chairman.
He is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, where he has taught for over three decades. A graduate of the same institution, he earned his LL.B in 1987, was called to the Bar in 1988, and later obtained his LL.M in 1993 and Ph.D in 2007.
The new INEC chief began his academic career at the University of Jos in 1989 after completing his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation. Over the years, he has held several key positions including Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), Head of the Department of Public Law (2006–2008), and Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014).
Beyond academia, Amupitan currently serves as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State. He has also served on several national and corporate boards such as the Council of Legal Education, the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Integrated Dairies Limited, and Riss Oil Limited.
A prolific scholar, Amupitan has authored several widely cited legal texts 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 with four children.
