President Bola Tinubu has nominated Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) from Kogi State as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
The National Council of State on Wednesday unanimously approved Amupitan’s appointment after Tinubu presented his name during its meeting at the State House, Abuja.
According to a State House statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Tinubu described Amupitan as “a man of integrity and an apolitical scholar”, noting that he is the first person from the North-Central state of Kogi to be nominated for the top electoral role.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State also endorsed the nomination, praising Amupitan’s “sterling character and academic distinction.”
In line with constitutional procedure, President Tinubu will now forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for confirmation.
Amupitan, 58, is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, where he currently serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). A respected legal scholar, he specialises in Company Law, Corporate Governance, and the Law of Evidence, and was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2014.
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A native of Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Amupitan is also the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council at Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
He has held several key academic positions at the University of Jos, including Dean of the Faculty of Law and Chairman, Committee of Deans and Directors, and has authored multiple books on corporate and evidence law.
The nomination marks a new chapter for INEC following Yakubu’s decade-long tenure from 2015 to 2025.