National Council of State Approves Amupitan as INEC Chairman
By Kelechi Ugo
The National Council of State has unanimously approved the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the end of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Professor Amupitan’s nomination to the Council at its meeting held at the State House on Thursday. Amupitan hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, making him the first person from the North-Central state to be nominated for the top electoral post.
The President described Amupitan as a distinguished academic and legal scholar with no political affiliations. His nomination received unanimous backing from all members of the Council, with Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, praising him as a man of integrity.
In line with constitutional procedures, President Tinubu is expected to forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Born on April 25, 1967, Professor Amupitan is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, where he also serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). He is an alumnus of the same institution, having earned his LLB in 1987, LLM in 1993, and PhD in Law in 2007.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria since 2014, Amupitan began his academic career in 1989 after completing his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation. He has held several key academic positions at the University of Jos, including Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014), and Head of the Department of Public Law (2006–2008).
Outside academia, Amupitan is currently the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State. He also serves on the boards of several institutions, including Integrated Dairies Limited, and has previously served on the boards of the Council of Legal Education and the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.
A prolific legal author, his published works include 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).
Professor Amupitan is married with four children.
