The Council of State has approved the appointment of a legal expert, Prof. Joash Amupitan, as the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), setting the stage for a new phase in Nigeria’s electoral leadership.
The decision marks a significant moment in the country’s democratic process, with the council throwing its weight behind a respected legal scholar known for his integrity and apolitical stance.
Before the endorsement on Thursday, President Bola Tinubu had presented Amupitan’s nomination to the council to fill the leadership vacuum created by the departure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure as INEC Chairman ended in October 2025.
The meeting, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, saw council members unanimously backing Amupitan’s nomination.
According to the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President praised the nominee as “an outstanding legal mind and a man whose record of service stands above partisanship.”
In line with constitutional procedure, President Tinubu is expected to forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation in the coming days.
The Guild reports that Amupitan, 58 years old, hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
He currently serves as a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, where he is also the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) and the Pro-Chancellor of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
Elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2014, Amupitan is highly regarded in legal and academic circles for his expertise in Company Law, Corporate Governance, and the Law of Evidence.
He has authored several influential books and previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Law and Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors at UNIJOS.
Married with four children, Amupitan’s appointment, if confirmed, will make him the first person from Kogi State to head Nigeria’s electoral body.
