When the National Council of State met on Thursday, October 9, 2025, a quiet shift took place in Nigeria’s democratic space.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented a name unfamiliar to many Nigerians, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

His nomination, later approved by the Council, marks the end of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s ten-year tenure and the beginning of a new chapter for the nation’s electoral body.

But who is this man stepping from the lecture halls of the University of Jos into one of the most scrutinized offices in Nigeria?

Born on April 25, 1967, in Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Professor Amupitan’s journey is one defined by scholarship, service, and quiet accomplishment.

He attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, before proceeding to the University of Jos, where he obtained his law degree, master’s, and later, a doctorate.
By 1989, he had joined the same university as a lecturer, beginning an academic career that would span more than three decades.

He served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos and also doubled as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria since 2014, Amupitan’s expertise covers Company Law, Corporate Governance, Privatisation Law, and the Law of Evidence.

He has written extensively on these subjects, authoring several respected legal texts, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles, and Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria.

Beyond the classroom, Amupitan has held key roles in national institutions
from the Council of Legal Education, to the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and the Committee of Deans and Directors at UNIJOS.

He is also the first Kogi-born nominee to lead the Independent National Electoral Commission, a symbolic milestone for the North-Central region.

As he prepares to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu under whose leadership INEC introduced reforms such as BIVAS and the IReV results portal, expectations are high.

Observers believe his background in law and governance could bring renewed credibility to the electoral process, especially as the nation heads toward another election cycle.