By IN a unanimous decision, the National Council of State has greenlit the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), setting the stage for a significant leadership transition for the nation’s electoral body.
The nomination was presented to the council by President Bola Tinubu, who seeks to fill the vacancy left by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure concluded this month after a decade at the helm.
In a move highlighting regional representation, President Tinubu informed the council that Professor Amupitan is the first individual from Kogi State in the North-Central region to be nominated for the pivotal role. The President also emphasised the nominee’s apolitical nature, a key asset for the head of an institution tasked with overseeing the nation’s elections.
The appointment received robust backing from the council’s members. Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State voiced the collective support, praising the nominee’s character.
He was quoted as describing Professor Amupitan as “a man of integrity.”
With the council’s approval secured, President Tinubu will now formally submit Amupitan’s name to the Senate for confirmation, in accordance with constitutional requirements.
A Distinguished Legal Academic
Professor Amupitan, 58, hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Kogi State and is a highly respected legal scholar. An alumnus and current Professor of Law at the University of Jos, he specialises in Company Law, Evidence, and Corporate Governance. His legal expertise was formally recognised in 2014 when he was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
His career at the University of Jos has been extensive, having served as Dean of the Faculty of Law for six years and currently holding the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). Beyond academia, he has served on the governing councils of several legal and corporate institutions, including the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the Council of Legal Education.
He is also the author of several authoritative law textbooks, including “Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria” and “Principles of Company Law.”
As the nation awaits the Senate’s screening process, the nomination of this seasoned academic and legal practitioner signals a new chapter for INEC, with stakeholders watching closely to see how his extensive administrative and legal background will shape the future of Nigeria’s electoral process.
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