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 approval, which was granted during the council’s meeting on Thursday in Abuja, confirms earlier reports that President Bola Tinubu had nominated the Kogi-born legal scholar to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose 10-year tenure ended this month.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, announced the council’s decision in a statement, noting that President Tinubu presented Amupitan’s name to the council to fill the vacancy left by Yakubu.
Onanuga described the appointee as an apolitical technocrat and the first nominee from Kogi State to head the nation’s electoral body.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State, who attended the meeting, praised the new INEC chairman as “a man of integrity and intellect whose wealth of experience will strengthen Nigeria’s democratic process.”
Following the council’s endorsement, President Tinubu is expected to forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation in line with constitutional provisions.
Professor Amupitan, 58, is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, where he currently serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). He is also the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria since 2014, Amupitan specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law. He has authored several notable books, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008) and Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013).
Born in Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Amupitan obtained his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees in Law from the University of Jos. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 and began his academic career the following year after his National Youth Service in Bauchi.
He is married and blessed with four children.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
