The National Council of State has approved Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, from the North-Central region, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). President Bola Tinubu nominated Amupitan to fill the vacancy left by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 until October 2025.
President Tinubu emphasised that Amupitan is the first nominee from Kogi State for the role and described him as apolitical. The Council gave unanimous support to his nomination, with Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo praising him as a man of integrity. Tinubu will now forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening, as required by the constitution.
Amupitan, 58, is from Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area, Kogi State. A professor of law at the University of Jos, he specialises in Company Law, Law of evidence, corporate governance, and privatisation law. He was awarded the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2014.
Born on April 25, 1967, Amupitan attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, and the University of Jos, where he earned his LLM and PhD. Called to the bar in 1988, his academic career began in 1989 after serving in the National Youth Service Corps. He currently serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos and as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
Amupitan has held several key roles at UNIJOS, including Head of Public Law, Dean of the Faculty of Law, and Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors. His contributions extend beyond academia, having served on boards and councils in governance and industry. He is also a prolific author, with books on corporate governance, evidence law, company law, and trusts in Nigeria.
He is married with four children.
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