The National Council of State earlier, on Thursday, unanimously approved the appointment of Prof. Joash Ojo Amupi­tan as Chairman of INEC subject to screening by the Senate in the coming days.

To this end, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has charged the new INEC chairman to have a personal am­bition to do better and restore the con­fidence of Nigerians and the world in Nigerian election.

President Bola Tinubu nominated Prof. Amupitan and was confirmed by the National Council of State, following the exit of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu from the electoral body after serving for a re­cord 10 years.

Reacting to the appointment, the ADC, in a statement by its spokesman Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said, “We are cautious. But we expect the new INEC chairman to have a personal ambition to do better and restore the confidence of Ni­gerians and the world in Nigerian election.

 “He must understand that his loyalty is with the Nigerian peo­ple, not the government. We are willing to give him the benefit of doubts based on his track record.

“But now he has the oppor­tunity to make a good name for himself that his children would be proud of, or to soil his record and end up with ignominy.

“He should bear in mind also that his tenure will ordinarily last beyond one electoral cycle. He should therefore look beyond the interest of those who have appointed him.”

Kenneth Okonkwo Advises Amupitan Against Technical Glitch

Nollywood veteran, lawyer and politician, Kenneth Okonk­wo, has advised Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan to ensure that there is no technical glitch during elec­tions, saying that was what his predecessor used to subvert the will of Nigerians.

“To me, technical glitch is the acronym they used to rig the last election. He should live above boards and give Nigerians the election they will be proud of.

“He should avoid anything like rigging and preserve his name. Let Nigerians write his name in gold and remember him for good.”

Amupitan Should Douse Any Form Of Suspicion — Chekwas Okorie

Pioneer National Chairman and founder of the All Progres­sives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie, has said that Amiputan is eminently qual­ified to be chairman of INEC,

According to him, “He should ensure integrity guides whatever he does and he should know there is already a huge suspicion sur­rounding him for the fact that he is a Yoruba man.

“Given that Tinubu is a Yoru­ba man, there is a level of suspi­cion on whether he won’t compro­mise, so he has to live above board so that history will remember him for good.

“I will say that I am more afraid of the system because the system is not structured in such a way to stop anyone who wants to be corrupt.

“If we have a good system, it may not matter whether the mother of a contestant is the INEC chairman, the person will live above board. I am appealing to him to see Nigeria as his own to preserve because he has his loyalty to Nigerians and not to anyone else.”

The Electorate Won’t Have Confidence In Amiputan– Ashiru

The Lagos State chairman of African Democratic Con­gress (ADC), George Ashiru, has said that with the appoint­ment of the new Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman by President Bola Tinubu, it is obvious that the electorate won’t have confi­dence that the 2027 election will be credible.

Speaking to Daily Indepen­dent, Ashiru stated that there is urgent need to have a reform that will enable independent bod­ies to get involved in the process of appointing a chairman of the electoral commission.

He said, “The position of ADC is that the process of bringing whoever should be INEC chair­man need to get the involvement of the National Judicial Council. The council should be the first to make recommendation because most of them are professors of law. Also some independent enti­ties in the Nigerian state should be able to pick those who are qualified according to appropri­ate Act.

“They should shortlist may­be two or three people and that is what they should forward to the president, not the president to be the one selecting individuals and forwarding to council of states.

“The recommendation should come from independent body to the president. The president’s job is to forward for screening. We think that this list should go to the National Assembly because they are the ones representing the people.”

When responding to a ques­tion that his proposal is not pos­sible without an amendment of the constitution, he said, “Amend­ment to the constitution is done on a regular basis, why not this one. The constitution is a living document. We keep talking about reforms, why not this one. Let us have electoral reforms where the INEC chairman shouldn’t be se­lected by the president. It is called independent, how can it be inde­pendent when the choice of one of the parties that is involved in the contest is the one appointing the ombudsman of the election.

“We need electoral reforms and we need the National As­sembly to start creating bills that allow the independence to be real. Because it appears to be indepen­dent but it is not independent in the true sense of it.”

On his thoughts about specu­lations is some quarters that the 2027 election is not likely to be credible since the president who made the appointment will be a participant in the election.

He said, “We are not pessi­mists and we are not saying that the man is not credible, what we are saying is that as long as this is not done through an indepen­dent process, the electorate won’t be confident that the process will be free, fair and credible because the man who appointed the INEC chairman is also contesting in the election. The electorate will be worried that the umpire won’t be unbiased.”

Amupitan, an indigene of Kogi State, replaces Prof. Mah­mood Yakubu, who served as INEC chairman from 2015 till October 2025.

Perhaps one thing that worked for Amupitan, which eventually earned him the role of the na­tion’s electoral umpire was his level of integrity, which the Kogi State governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, strongly vouched for in­side the Council Chambers of the State House.

Following his appointment, President Tinubu will now send Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening.

The Council of State meeting was however attended virtually by Ex-Presidents Ibrahim Baban­gida and Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Ex-Chief Justices of Nigeria are among the first set of people to arrive for the Hybrid Council of State meeting.

Those in attendance physical­ly were President of the Senate, Chief Godswill Akpabio, four retired CJNs, Walter Onnoghen, Mahmud Mohammed,

Alfa Belgore and Olukayode Ariwoola and majority of the state governors.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, was also in attendance.

About Amupitan

Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan is a distinguished Nigerian legal scholar, academic administrator, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

He was born on April 25, 1967, in Aiyetoro-Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is 58 years old as of October 2025.

He is widely recognised for his expertise in law, particularly in ar­eas like evidence law, corporate governance, company law, and privatisation law.

Amupitan is married to Dr. (Mrs.) Yemisi Amupitan and they have four children.

He is described as apolitical.

Early Life And Education

Amupitan hails from the North-Central region of Nigeria and completed his primary and secondary education in Kogi State.

His academic journey began with studies at Kwara State Poly­technic, Ilorin (1982–1984), before proceeding to the University of Jos (UNIJOS), where he earned Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) in 1987, graduating as the best law student and winning multiple prizes.

He got his Master of Laws (LL.M.) in 1993. Doctor of Philos­ophy (Ph.D.) in Law in 2007.

Following his LL.B., he attend­ed the Nigerian Law School in La­gos and was called to the Bar as a Barrister-at-Law in 1988.

He completed his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the Bauchi State Publishing Cor­poration in Bauchi (1988–1989). Amupitan is also a Fulbright Scholar.

Amupitan joined the Univer­sity of Jos in 1989 as an Assistant Lecturer in the Faculty of Law. He progressed rapidly through the ranks: Lecturer II (1990), Lectur­er I (1996), Senior Lecturer (2000), Reader (2003), and full Professor (2008).

His specialisations include Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, and Privatisation Law.

He has supervised over 30 Master’s students and 13 Ph.D./M.Phil. candidates, and published more than 50 scholarly works, including journal articles, book chapters, monographs, and reports.

His research focuses on legal frameworks for public enter­prise privatisation, electoral law reforms, petroleum industry re­forms, and corporate governance in Nigeria.

Key administrative roles at UNIJOS: Head, Department of Public Law (2006–2008). He was Dean, Faculty of Law (2008–2014). Chairman, Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014). Repre­sentative of the Faculty of Law on various university boards. Member, Governing Council, Uni­versity of Jos, and he is currently the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Ad­ministration).

Beyond UNIJOS, he served as member, Governing Council, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS); mem­ber, Council of Legal Education (2008–2014); pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Osun State (inaugurated December 2023).

In Private Practice And Corporate Roles

He is board member, Integrat­ed Dairies Limited, Vom, and board member, Riss Oil Limited, Abuja (1996–2004).

He is a member of professional bodies such as the National Asso­ciation of Law Teachers and the Nigerian Bar Association. Amupi­tan was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in September 2014, a prestigious honour recognising his contribu­tions to the legal profession.

Publication

Amupitan is a prolific author with several influential books on Nigerian law, including: Cor­porate Governance: Models and Principles (2008); Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008); Prin­ciples of Company Law (2013); Evidence Law: Theory and Prac­tice in Nigeria (2013) and An In­troduction to the Law of Trust in Nigeria (2014).

Personal Life And Legacy

Amupitan is known for his leadership by example, dedica­tion to academic excellence, and commitment to legal reforms that promote transparency and governance in Nigeria. Col­leagues, such as former House of Representatives member, Timothy Golu, described him as “approachable, disciplined, and highly principled.” His career spans over 34 years, blending academia, administration, and advocacy.

As he potentially steps into the INEC chairman’s role, Amupi­tan’s background positions him to address ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s electoral system.

His appointment is seen as a boost for electoral credibility, given Amupitan’s expertise in electoral law reforms and his apolitical stance.

He is expected to lead INEC ahead of key elections, including the 2026 Anambra governorship election.