The National Council of State has unanimously approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Amupitan’s name to the Council as his preferred nominee on Thursday, following the resignation of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who led the commission since 2015.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu described Amupitan as “apolitical” and a person of “impeccable integrity.”
The President said Amupitan’s nomination was historic as he would be “the first person from Kogi, a North-Central state, to occupy the position.” The Council’s members reportedly gave their full backing to the appointment.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State commended the nomination, describing Professor Amupitan as “a man of integrity” whose record in academia and public service speaks for itself.
Following the Council’s endorsement, the President will forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Yakubu’s Exit
Although his second five-year term was due to expire in November 2025, Professor Yakubu submitted a resignation letter dated 3 October 2025, stating that his departure should take effect on 7 October.
In remarks during INEC’s consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners in Abuja, Yakubu cited sections 36(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution as part of the legal justification for his early resignation.
He said the decision would “enable his successor to settle down quickly for the task of conducting elections and other electoral activities.”
Yakubu formally handed over his duties to Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, the most senior national commissioner by date of appointment, who assumed the role of Acting Chairman pending the appointment of a substantive successor.
President Tinubu accepted Yakubu’s departure and, in recognition of his service, conferred on him the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
Amupitan’s Bio
Born on 25 April 1967 in Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, the 58-year-old law professor currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos. He is also the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.
A distinguished scholar and practitioner, Amupitan specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law. He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2014 and has spent over three decades in legal academia.
His educational journey began at Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin (1982–1984), before proceeding to the University of Jos, where he earned his LL.B in 1987, LL.M in 1993, and PhD in 2007. After being called to the Bar in 1988, he began his academic career at UNIJOS in 1989 following his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation.
At UNIJOS, he has held several key positions including Head of Public Law, Dean of the Faculty of Law, and Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors. Beyond academia, he has served on the boards of Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom, Riss Oil Limited, and the Council of Legal Education.
Amupitan is also a prolific author, with publications 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).
He is married with four children.
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