Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, is “set to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu” as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), pending Senate confirmation.
President Bola Tinubu’s nomination to replace Yakubu, who bowed out on Tuesday, was approved by the National Council of State on Thursday.
The nomination was disclosed in a statement by the Special Assistant to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Read Also: Things You Don’t Know About New INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan
The statement noted that President Tinubu presented Professor Amupitan to fill the vacant position following Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s exit after serving from 2015 till October 2025.
The nominee’s name will be forwarded to the Senate for screening and confirmation “in line with constitutional requirements.”
If confirmed, his appointment “will mark the beginning of a new chapter for Nigeria’s electoral body.”
Seven Facts About Professor Joash Amupitan
Professor Joash Amupitan is nominated with a career spanning “more than 35 years in academia, administration, and legal practice,” bringing “extensive experience and intellectual depth.”
Here are seven facts about the new INEC Chair nominee:
- Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN): He was conferred with the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in August 2014.
- Professor of Law since 2008: He joined the University of Jos in 1989 as an Assistant Lecturer, becoming a Reader in 2003 and a Professor of Law in 2008. He supervised numerous postgraduate students and received the Teslim Elias Award for Meritorious Service in 2014.
- Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Jos: As of October 25, 2022, he serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the university. His previous leadership roles included Dean, Faculty of Law (2008–2014), and Head, Department of Public Law (2006–2008).
- Early Life and Origin: The 58-year old Professor Amupitan was born in April 1967 and hails from Aiyetoro-Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria.
- Best Graduating Law Student (1987): During his undergraduate years at the University of Jos, Amupitan graduated top of his class in 1987, winning the Richard Akinjide’s Prize and the University of Jos Chancellor’s Prize.
- Holder of Multiple Law Degrees: After earning his LL.B (Hons) at the University of Jos, 1987, he completed his B.L at the Nigerian Law School, 1988, his LL.M in 1993, and his Ph.D in Law at the University of Jos, 2007.
- Areas of Specialisation: His teaching and research interests cover Company Law, Corporate Governance, and the Law of Evidence. He has taught students in these fields since 1989.
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