Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, 58, hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – The National Council of State has approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, from the North-Central region, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Presidential Spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday.
According to the statement, President Bola Tinubu presented Professor Amupitan’s name to the Council as his nominee to fill the vacancy created by the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as INEC Chairman from 2015 until October 2025.
President Tinubu was quoted as telling the Council that Professor Amupitan is the first nominee from Kogi State in the North-Central geopolitical zone to be considered for the position, describing him as an “apolitical and highly qualified legal scholar.”
“Council members unanimously supported the nomination, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo describing Amupitan as a man of integrity,” the statement added.
It further stated that, “In compliance with the constitution, President Tinubu will now send Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening.”
Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, 58, hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), where he also obtained his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
An expert in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law, Amupitan became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in September 2014.
Born on April 25, 1967, Amupitan attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, between 1982 and 1984, before proceeding to the University of Jos, where he earned his LL.B. in 1987. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988.
He obtained his Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from the University of Jos in 1993 and completed his Ph.D. in 2007. His academic career began in 1989 after completing his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation.
Amupitan currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos and also holds the position of Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council at Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.
At UNIJOS, he previously served as Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014), Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), and Head of the Department of Public Law (2006–2008).
Beyond academia, Amupitan has held several board and advisory roles, including membership of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the Council of Legal Education (2008–2014). He was also a board member of Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom, and Riss Oil Limited, Abuja (1996–2004).
A prolific author, Amupitan has written several influential books, including 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).