Council of State Approves Prof. Joash Amupitan as New INEC Chairman
The National Council of State has unanimously approved the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Amupitan’s nomination during the council meeting on Thursday, to fill the position vacated by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure ended in October 2025 after serving since 2015.
President Tinubu noted that Professor Amupitan, a native of Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, is the first individual from the North-Central region to be nominated for the top electoral position. He also described the nominee as “apolitical and of impeccable integrity.”
Council members gave unanimous support to the nomination, with Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, describing Amupitan as “a man of integrity and exceptional character.”
In accordance with constitutional provisions, President Tinubu is expected to forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Professor Amupitan, 58, is a distinguished legal scholar and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos and also serves as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
An alumnus of the University of Jos, Amupitan holds an LLB, LLM, and PhD in Law. His academic journey began in 1989, shortly after his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation. He became a professor of law with specialization in Company Law, Corporate Governance, and the Law of Evidence.
Over the years, he has held several key positions, including Dean of the Faculty of Law, Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors, and Head of the Department of Public Law at the University of Jos.
Beyond academia, Amupitan has served on the boards of several organizations, including Integrated Dairies Limited and Riss Oil Limited. He has also been a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the Council of Legal Education.
A prolific author, Amupitan has written several law textbooks, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles and Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria.
He is married and blessed with four children.
— State House Press Release
Signed:
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy)
October 9, 2025