The National Council of State has unanimously approved the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Bayo Onanuga, a media aide to President Bola Tinubu made this known on Thursday via X.
Recall that Prof. Mahmood Yakubu stepped down as chairman of the electoral body, INEC, on October 8, 2025, following the publication of a viral story about a prospective replacement.
Yakubu resigned and was replaced by the longest-serving National Commissioner, May Agbamuche, who served as acting chairman until Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan approved the appointment.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that President Bola Tinubu presented Amupitan’s name to the Council of State during its meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.
However, the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu has sparked some controversies, as some sources claimed that the tenure of Prof. Yakubu was supposed to end on December 9, 2025.
Another source claimed that political influence and possible forceful resignation cannot be overlooked as a result of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu leaving office two months earlier than the exact month his tenure was supposed to end
Here is a brief profile of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, a Kogi-born legal scholar who is now the new INEC chairman:
EARLY LIFE
Joash Ojo Amupitan is a native of Ayetoro Gbede, a town in the Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He was born on April 25, 1967. His late mother was Alice Ajigba Amupitan, who was an educator and deeply rooted Christian in Kogi State.
EDUCATION
He attended Kwara State Polytechnic (1982 -1984). He attended the University of Jos where he obtained his bachelor of laws (LL.B) degree in 1987. He was called to the bar in 1988. He joined the UNIJOS in 1989 as an assistant lecturer. He earned his master of laws (LL.M) in 1993, and later earned his doctor of philosophy (PhD) in law in 2007. He is now a Professor of Law at the University of Jos.
CAREER
His academic journey began in 1989, shortly after completing his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation, marking over 35 years in academia.
He has held several leadership positions at UNIJOS, including 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). He currently serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration).
Beyond UNIJOS, he is the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State, underscoring his wide influence in Nigeria’s higher education governance.
His areas of expertise include company law, law of evidence, corporate governance, and privatization law, reflecting a deep grounding in both the theory and practice of legal systems.He was conferred with the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in September 2014, joining the elite group of legal minds recognized for excellence and contribution to the legal profession.
Outside academia, Amupitan sits on several boards, including Integrated Dairies Limited (Vom), and previously served on the Council of Legal Education, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council, and as a board member of Riss Oil Limited.
He has written several influential law texts used across Nigerian universities and law schools, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008), Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008), and Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013).
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