The National Council of State has given its unanimous approval to the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Professor Amupitan’s nomination during the Council’s meeting at the State House, Abuja, following the end of tenure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who led the commission from 2015 until October 2025.
President Tinubu described the nominee, a native of Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, as an apolitical personality with a distinguished record of integrity and service.
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, who spoke during the session, hailed the appointment, describing Amupitan as “a man of integrity and deep intellectual capacity.”
In accordance with constitutional provisions, the President is expected to forward the nominee’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Professor Amupitan, aged 58, is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a respected legal scholar. He currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of the University of Jos and also as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
An alumnus of the University of Jos, Amupitan holds LL.B, LL.M, and Ph.D. degrees in Law. He began his academic career in 1989 and has served in various leadership positions, including Dean, Faculty of Law; Chairman, Committee of Deans and Directors; and Head, Department of Public Law.
Outside academia, he has served on several institutional and corporate boards, including Integrated Dairies Limited, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council, and the Council of Legal Education.
