New INEC Head

National Council of State Approves Professor Joash Amupitan as New INEC Chairman

The appointment of 58-year-old Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been given a unanimous nod by the National Council of State following the expiration of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure as the head of the electoral body.

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday October 9, 2025 presented Amupitan’s nomination to the Council during its meeting held at the State House Abuja. 

The National Council of State, which is the highest advisory body established under Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution gave its approval of 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.

Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State, who attended the meeting lauded the choice describing Amupitan as a man of integrity and deep intellect who would bring credibility and discipline to the nation’s electoral system.

In line with constitutional provisions President Tinubu would transmit Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

Born on April 25, 1967, in Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area 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). 

Amupitan is also the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.

A seasoned scholar and legal practitioner, Amupitan was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 after earning his LL.B from UNIJOS. 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).