President Bola Tinubu is reportedly considering Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This comes as the current chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, nears the end of his 10-year tenure.
A presidency source confirmed that Amupitan is being strongly considered. A close associate of the professor also confirmed the development, although no official announcement has been made yet.
Yakubu, appointed in 2015 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, was expected to step down in June but stayed on while the presidency searched for a replacement. His time as chairman saw both innovations and controversies.
He introduced BVAS, the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), and simultaneous accreditation and voting.
However, he faced criticism for frequent inconclusive elections.
If confirmed, Amupitan will oversee major upcoming polls, including the Anambra governorship election in November 2026, the FCT council elections in February 2026, the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections in 2026, and the 2027 general election.
Who is Amupitan?
Professor Amupitan, born in 1967 in Kogi State, is a legal scholar and Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He studied law at the University of Jos, where he graduated as the best student in 1987. He later obtained his Master’s and PhD in Law.
He has worked at the University of Jos since 1989, becoming a professor in 2008.
He is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of the university and also serves as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University.
Amupitan specializes in Company Law, Corporate Governance, and Law of Evidence.
He has written several books and published more than 70 academic papers. He has also served on boards of companies, worked as a government consultant, and been involved in several important legal cases.
He was made a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2014 and has held various leadership roles in academia and law.
Would you like me to make this even shorter, like a news brief of under 300 words, or keep the full profile style?