The National Council of State has unanimously approved President Bola Tinubu’s nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan as the next INEC Chairman, succeeding Mahmood Yakubu. Amupitan, a legal luminary from Kogi State, will now face Senate confirmation
Details: Council of State Approves Tinubu’s Nominee, Prof. Joash Amupitan, as New INEC Chairman
The National Council of State, on Thursday, unanimously endorsed the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan as the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The endorsement came after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Amupitan’s name during the Council’s hybrid meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Professor Amupitan’s nomination fills the vacancy created by the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who has served as INEC Chairman since 2015 and concludes his tenure in October 2025.
President Tinubu, while introducing the nominee, described Professor Amupitan as “an accomplished scholar and legal luminary of impeccable character.” He noted that Amupitan is the first individual from Kogi State, in Nigeria’s North-Central region, to be nominated for the position.
A statement released by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, emphasized that the nominee is non-partisan and brings a distinguished record of service in both academia and legal practice.
Council members unanimously endorsed the nomination, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State praising the nominee as “a man of integrity and sound judgment.”
In line with constitutional provisions, President Tinubu is expected to forward Professor Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and final confirmation.
Aged 58, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, where he has served since beginning his academic career in 1989.
He also holds concurrent roles as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
A seasoned academic and legal expert, Amupitan earned his LL.B. (1987), LL.M. (1993), and Ph.D. (2007) from the University of Jos. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 and attained the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in September 2014.
Throughout his career, he has served in various capacities, including Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014), and Head of the Department of Public Law (2006–2008) at the University of Jos.
Beyond academia, Professor Amupitan has contributed to national development through active involvement in professional and corporate bodies. He has served on the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, the Council of Legal Education, and as a Board Member of both Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom, and Riss Oil Limited, Abuja.
An accomplished author, he has written several authoritative books, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008), Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008), Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013), Principles of Company Law (2013), and Introduction to the Law of Trust in Nigeria (2014).
Professor Amupitan is married and blessed with four children. Read More
