President Tinubu’s nominee to replace Mahmood Yakubu receives unanimous endorsement from National Council of State
The National Council of State has approved the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The announcement was made on Thursday via a statement by the Special Assistant to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu presented Amupitan’s nomination to the Council to fill the vacancy left by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure ends in October 2025 after serving since 2015.
President Tinubu informed the Council that Amupitan is the first person from Kogi State—in the North-Central geopolitical zone—to be nominated for the role. He also described the nominee as “apolitical.”
“Council members unanimously supported the nomination, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo describing Amupitan as a man of integrity,” the statement read.
Senate Screening Next Step
The presidency noted that, in line with constitutional requirements, Amupitan’s name will now be forwarded to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Academic and Legal Credentials
Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, born April 25, 1967, hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS) and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) since 2014.
An expert in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law, Amupitan holds an LLM (1993) and a PhD (2007) from UNIJOS, where he began his academic career in 1989.
He currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at UNIJOS and also holds the position of Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council at Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
