ABUJA: The National Council of State on Thursday unanimously endorsed the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Amupitan, a professor of law from the University of Jos, to the council to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure ended in October after serving since 2015.
Tinubu told the council that Amupitan, 58, hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State and is the first nominee from the North-Central state to be considered for the top electoral job. He described the nominee as apolitical and widely respected.
Council members unanimously backed the choice, with Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, commending Amupitan as “a man of integrity.”
In line with constitutional provisions, the President is expected to forward the nominee’s name to the Senate for confirmation.
Amupitan, who became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2014, currently serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, and Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
A renowned academic, he specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance and Privatisation Law. He has authored several books, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008) and Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013).
Born on April 25, 1967, Amupitan studied at Kwara State Polytechnic and the University of Jos, where he obtained his LLB, LLM and PhD degrees. Called to the Bar in 1988, he began his academic career in 1989 after his National Youth Service in Bauchi.
Beyond academics, he has served on the boards of corporate and public institutions, including Integrated Dairies Limited, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and the Council of Legal Education.
Amupitan is married with four children.
