The National Council of State (NCS) has unanimously approved the nomination of Professor Joash Amupitan, from the North-Central geopolitical zone, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement, said the approval follows a presentation by President Bola Tinubu to the Council on Thursday.
Amupitan is set to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure ran from 2015 until October 2025.
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Tinubu informed the council that Amupitan, a native of Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, is the first person from Kogi to be nominated for the position.
The President further assured the council of the nominee’s apolitical stance.
The nomination received unanimous backing from the council members, with Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State reportedly describing the academic as a “man of integrity.”
In line with constitutional requirements, Tinubu will now forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Amupitan, 58, was born on April 25, 1967. He is a distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau State, and currently holds the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the university.
He also serves as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.
His academic specialisations include Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law. He was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in September 2014.
An alumnus of the University of Jos, Amupitan’s educational background includes attending Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, from 1982 to 1984, before his university education at UNIJOS from 1984 to 1987.
He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 and earned both an LLM (1993) and a PhD (2007) from UNIJOS.
His extensive academic career began in 1989. Before his current DVC role, he served as Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012-2014), Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008-2014), and Head of Public Law (2006-2008) at UNIJOS.
Beyond the academic sphere, Amupitan held key institutional roles, including serving as a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the Council of Legal Education (2008-2014).
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He is also a respected author of numerous law texts, such as Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013) and Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008).
Professor Amupitan is married and a father of four.
