The council of state has unanimously approved the nomination of Joash Ojo Amupitan, as the next chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commiss
The council of state has unanimously approved the nomination of Joash Ojo Amupitan, as the next chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the exit of Mahmood Yakubu.
The decision came during a meeting of the council held at the State House and presided over by President Bola Tinubu on Thursday.
The president presented Amupitan’s name as his preferred nominee to fill the leadership vacancy at the electoral commission.
Tinubu told the council that Amupitan, an indigene of Kogi state in the north-central geopolitical zone, is the first person from the state to be nominated for the role of INEC chairman.
Tinubu described the nominee as an apolitical figure.
Council members, including former heads of state, gave unanimous backing to the nomination. Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi state, also described Amupitan as a “man of integrity”.
Amupitan was born on April 25, 1967 in Aiyetoro-Gbede, Ijumu LGA of Kogi state. Amupitan is married to Yemisi, and they have four children.
His academic journey was rooted in persistence and a strong commitment to legal scholarship.
Over the decades, his teaching and research have focused on public law, corporate governance, privatisation law, and the law of evidence.
His scholarship includes more than 50 academic works — journal articles, book chapters, monographs, and case reviews.
He has supervised over 30 master of law candidates and more than a dozen doctoral students.
His academic record reflects a career dedicated to shaping legal education and advancing scholarship in Nigeria.
In 2014, Amupitan attained the rank of senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the legal profession’s highest recognition.
The rank acknowledged his excellence in practice, research, and contributions to jurisprudence. It positioned him as both an academic and a practitioner who bridges theory and legal reality.
At the University of Jos, Amupitan headed the department of public law before serving as dean of the faculty of law.
He later became chairman of the committee of deans and directors and a member of the university’s governing council.
In 2022, the senate of the university elected him deputy vice-chancellor (administration), a position that broadened his experience in management and governance.
Beyond the university system, Amupitan has served on the governing council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and on the Council of Legal Education.
These positions have placed him at the centre of conversations shaping legal education and practice in Nigeria.
In December 2023, he was appointed pro-chancellor and chairman of the governing council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ilesa, Osun state.
As INEC chairman, Amupitan’s immediate tasks include restoring voter confidence, strengthening the credibility of the voter register, and ensuring that technology enhances rather than hinders elections.
He must also balance political pressures with the commission’s independence, a recurring challenge in Nigeria’s democracy.
His trajectory suggests a leader who values law, order, and reform, but how these translate into action at INEC will define his legacy.
