THE National Council of State has approved the appointment of Joash Ojo Amupitan, a Professor and a senior advocate, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the completion of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s ten-year tenure.
The approval came after President Bola Tinubu presented Amupitan’s name during the Council’s meeting held on Thursday, October 9, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The announcement was made in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, the Council unanimously endorsed Amupitan’s nomination, describing him as a man of integrity and experience. Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State, who attended the meeting, said the nomination was well-deserved and historic, as Amupitan is the first person from Kogi State to be nominated for the position.
Tinubu is expected to forward the nominee’s name to the Senate for confirmation, in line with constitutional provisions.
Amupitan, 58, is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau State, where he currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). He hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria since 2014, Amupitan has spent over three decades in academia, specialising in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law. He has held several key positions at the University of Jos, including Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014), and Head of the Department of Public Law (2006–2008).
Beyond the university, he serves as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State. He sits on several corporate and educational boards. He has authored several widely used legal texts, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles and Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria.
Born on April 25, 1967, Amupitan studied at Kwara State Polytechnic and the University of Jos, where he obtained his Bachelor’s Law, Master’s and PhD degrees. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988.
His appointment follows the exit of Mahmood Yakubu, who handed over to National Commissioner May Agbamuche-Mbu on October 7 after completing his second term. Yakubu, appointed in 2015 and reappointed in 2020, oversaw two general elections and several off-cycle polls.
Under Yakubu, INEC introduced key technological reforms, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, aimed at enhancing election transparency. However, the 2023 general elections drew widespread criticism from civil society groups and election observers over challenges in result transmission and logistical lapses.
In a previous report, The ICIR reported that despite the commission’s reforms, many Nigerians expressed concerns about electoral accountability, voter suppression, and the lack of effective prosecution of electoral offenders. The report highlighted how institutional weaknesses and political interference continue to undermine confidence in the electoral process.
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