By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
APPROVAL BY the National Council of State (NCS) has sealed the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, from the North-Central region, as the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to a statement released by the Special Assistant to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu presented the nomination before the council to fill the vacant position left by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 until October 2025.
President Tinubu informed the council that Professor Amupitan is the first nominee from Kogi State in the North-Central region to occupy the role of INEC Chairman and emphasised that the nominee is apolitical.
The President’s submission received unanimous support from the council members, with Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo describing Amupitan as a man of integrity.
In accordance with constitutional procedure, President Tinubu will forward Professor Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Born on 25 April 1967, the 58-year-old Professor Amupitan hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
He is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau State, where he also obtained his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
His academic specialisations include Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law.
He attained the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in September 2014 after a distinguished career in academia and legal scholarship.
Amupitan began his academic journey after completing his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation between 1988 and 1989.
He obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Jos in 1987, was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988, and later earned his Master of Laws (LLM) at the same university in 1993.
He completed his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in 2007.
He currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos (UNIJOS) while also holding the position of Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.
Within UNIJOS, Professor Amupitan has held several leadership positions, including Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors from 2012 to 2014, Dean of the Faculty of Law from 2008 to 2014, and Head of the Department of Public Law from 2006 to 2008.
Beyond academia, Amupitan has served on various boards and professional councils. He is a board member of Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom, a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and a former member of the Council of Legal Education (2008–2014).
He also served as a board member of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja, between 1996 and 2004.
His professional contributions extend into legal research and publication. He is the author of several notable 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 An Introduction to the Law of Trust in Nigeria (2014).
He is married and the union is blessed with four children.
