President Bola Tinubu has nominated renowned legal scholar and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the completion of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s decade-long tenure.
The nomination, made during Thursday’s National Council of State meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, received unanimous approval from council members.
Amupitan, 58, hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, marking the first time a nominee from Nigeria’s North-Central zone has been selected to lead the nation’s electoral umpire.
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In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu described Amupitan as a seasoned academic and legal expert with “impeccable credentials and unwavering integrity.”
The President is expected to formally transmit the nomination to the Senate for screening and confirmation in accordance with constitutional provisions.
Legal Luminary with Over Three Decades of Experience, Professor Amupitan is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, where he began his academic career in 1989 after completing the National Youth Service Corps programme.
He earned his LL.B in 1987, was called to the Bar in 1988, obtained an LL.M in 1993, and a Ph.D. in Law in 2007—all from the University of Jos. He was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2014.
His specialisations include Law of Evidence, Corporate Law, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law. He has authored several widely used legal texts, including Documentary Evidence in Nigeria and Corporate Governance: Models and Principles.
Proven Leadership in Legal and Academic Circles, a respected voice in legal education, Amupitan has held numerous leadership roles, including:
Dean, Faculty of Law, UNIJOS (2008–2014)
Head, Department of Public Law (2006–2008)
Chairman, Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014)
He also serves as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council at Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State, and sits on boards including the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and Council of Legal Education.
Reacting to the nomination, Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo described Amupitan as “a man of integrity who will uphold the sanctity of Nigeria’s democracy.”
