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 gave its nod to the nomination after deliberations at its meeting in Abuja.
According to Onanuga, President Tinubu told the Council that Professor Amupitan was “eminently qualified for the position” and represents “a fresh start for the Commission as the country prepares for critical off-cycle and general elections.”
He noted that Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and law professor from Kogi State, is the first person from the North-Central state to be nominated as INEC Chairman.
“Council members unanimously supported the President’s choice. Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State described Amupitan as a man of proven integrity and professional excellence,” the statement added.
In line with constitutional requirements, President Tinubu will transmit Amupitan’s name to the Senate for confirmation.
A Legal Scholar of High Standing
Professor Amupitan, aged 58, is currently Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, where he also serves as a Professor of Law. A graduate and long-time lecturer at the same institution, he was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2014.
He specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law, and is widely regarded for his scholarship and contributions to legal education in Nigeria.
Born on April 25, 1967, in Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Amupitan attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin (1982–1984) before obtaining his LL.B from the University of Jos in 1987. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 and later earned his LL.M (1993) and Ph.D (2007) from the same university.
He began his academic career in 1989 after completing his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation, and has since held key positions at UNIJOS, including:
Dean, Faculty of Law (2008–2014)
Head, Department of Public Law (2006–2008)
Chairman, Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014)
Beyond academia, Amupitan is currently Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council at Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State. He has also served on several national and corporate boards, including:
Council of Legal Education (2008–2014)
Governing Council, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
Board Member, Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom
Former Board Member, Riss Oil Limited, Abuja (1996–2004)
Thought Leader and Author
Amupitan is a prolific author whose works are widely referenced in legal circles. His published books include:
Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008)
Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008)
Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013)
Principles of Company Law (2013)
An Introduction to the Law of Trust in Nigeria (2014)
He is married and blessed with four children.
A Fresh Chapter for INEC
Political observers have described Amupitan’s appointment as a strategic move by the Tinubu administration to inject new credibility and professionalism into Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
His background in law and corporate governance, they say, could help restore confidence in INEC’s operations following widespread criticism over the conduct of the 2023 polls.
If confirmed by the Senate, Amupitan will become the first INEC Chairman from Kogi State, and only the second from the North-Central geopolitical zone since the return of democracy in 1999.
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