Nigeria TV Info — National Council of State Approves Joash Ojo Amupitan as New INEC Chairman

Abuja — The National Council of State (NCS) on Thursday approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) from the North-Central zone as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

President Bola Tinubu, in a statement issued by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, presented Amupitan’s nomination to the council to fill the vacancy created by Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s exit, who served from 2015 until October 2025.

At the meeting held at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja, President Tinubu described Amupitan as the first nominee from Kogi State to occupy the position and stressed his apolitical background.

Council members unanimously supported the nomination, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo describing Amupitan as “a man of integrity dedicated to upholding the sanctity of Nigeria’s electoral process.”

In compliance with the constitution, President Tinubu will now forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, 58, hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area, Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau State, and an alumnus of the institution. Amupitan specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, and Privatisation Law. He was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in September 2014.

Nigeria now awaits the Senate’s screening process, marking a key step toward solidifying leadership in the country’s electoral body.