President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This appointment was confirmed in an official circular issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. According to the statement, the National Council of State has approved Professor Amupitan’s nomination, which now awaits Senate confirmation in accordance with constitutional provisions.
Professor Amupitan, who hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, becomes the first person from the North-Central region to be nominated for this prestigious position. His appointment follows the completion of tenure by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 until October 2025.
During the presentation to the Council of State, President Tinubu described Amupitan as an apolitical individual and a scholar of integrity. His nomination received unanimous support from Council members, with Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, praising him as a man of great character and professionalism.
Born on April 25, 1967, Professor Amupitan is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), where he also serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). In addition, he is the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
Amupitan’s academic journey began after his primary and secondary education, when he attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin (1982–1984) before proceeding to UNIJOS, where he obtained his LLB degree (1984–1987). He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988.
He later earned an LL.M. degree from UNIJOS in 1993 and completed his Ph.D. in Law in 2007. His academic career commenced in 1989, shortly after his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation (1988–1989).
Over the years, Professor Amupitan has held several key positions within the University of Jos, including:
Dean, Faculty of Law (2008–2014)
Chairman, Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014)
Head, Department of Public Law (2006–2008)
Outside academia, he has served in multiple leadership and advisory capacities. He was a member of the Council of Legal Education (2008–2014), the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and a board member of Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom. Between 1996 and 2004, he also sat on the Board of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) since September 2014, Professor Amupitan is widely respected for his scholarship in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law.
He has authored 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)
An Introduction to the Law of Trust in Nigeria (2014)
Professor Amupitan, aged 58, is married and blessed with four children.
His appointment marks a new chapter in Nigeria’s electoral leadership as the nation prepares for future democratic exercises under his stewardship.
