The 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 following the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
President Bola Tinubu presented Amupitan’s nomination to the Council during it’s meeting held at the State House on Thursday in Abuja.
The Council, Nigeria’s highest advisory body established under Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution, gave its full backing to the President’s choice.
President Tinubu described the nominee as an “apolitical individual of integrity and competence”, noting that Amupitan is the first person from Kogi State in the North-Central zone to be nominated for the position.
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, who attended the meeting, commended the choice, describing Amupitan as “a man of integrity and deep intellect who will bring credibility and discipline to the nation’s electoral system.”
In line with constitutional provisions, President Tinubu will transmit Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Born on April 25, 1967, in Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu LGA of Kogi State, Amupitan is a distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), where he currently serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). He is also the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, in Osun State.
A seasoned scholar and legal practitioner, Amupitan was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 after earning his LL.B from University of Jos. He later obtained his LL.M (1993) and PhD (2007) from the same institution. He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN in 2014.
Over his distinguished academic career, he has served as Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014), and Head of Public Law (2006–2008) at UNIJOS.
Outside academia, Professor Amupitan has served on several boards and professional bodies, including the Council of Legal Education, the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom.
He has authored several influential law texts, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008) and Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013).
Professor Amupitan, 58, is married and blessed with four children.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
