Tinubu To Inaugurate New INEC Chairman Amupitan Today

President Bola Tinubu will on Thursday afternoon swear in Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The ceremony is scheduled for 12:00 noon at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, according to officials familiar with the President’s itinerary. Key government officials, members of the National Assembly, legal experts, civil society representatives, and senior INEC officers are expected to attend the event.

Following his inauguration, Prof. Amupitan is set to hold his first official meeting with INEC directors at 1:30 p.m. at the commission’s headquarters, as stated in a notice issued by INEC’s Deputy Director of Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah. Members of the INEC Press Corps have been invited to cover the opening session.

President Tinubu described Amupitan as a candidate chosen for his integrity, impartiality, and distinguished record of service. He also noted that Amupitan is the first individual from Kogi State, in the North-Central region, to hold the position.

Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Professor of Law at the University of Jos, was confirmed by the Senate on October 16, 2025, after receiving approval from the National Council of State. His appointment follows the exit of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu on October 7.

Born on April 25, 1967, in Ayetoro Gbede, Kogi State, Amupitan’s academic career spans over three decades. He earned his LL.B, LL.M, and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Jos, where he joined the Faculty of Law in 1989 and became a full professor in 2008.

Throughout his career, he has held several leadership roles, including Head of Department, Dean of Law, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), and Pro-Chancellor of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State.

Conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2014, Amupitan is widely recognized for his expertise in corporate governance, privatisation law, and the law of evidence. He has authored several legal texts, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008), Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008), and Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013).

He serves on the boards of multiple institutions, including Integrated Dairies Limited and the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council. Amupitan is married and blessed with four children.