The National Council of State has given unanimous approval for the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Amupitan’s nomination during Thursday’s Council of State meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, according to a statement released by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.
Amupitan, a senior advocate and professor of law from Kogi State in Nigeria’s North-Central region, was nominated to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who concluded his tenure in October 2025 after serving as INEC Chairman since 2015.
Onanuga quoted President Tinubu as saying that Amupitan is the first person from Kogi State and the North-Central zone to be nominated for the position, describing him as “a non-partisan individual of proven integrity.”
The Council reportedly endorsed the nomination unanimously, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State praising the nominee as “a man of honour and exceptional competence.”
Following constitutional procedure, President Tinubu will now forward Amupitan’s name to the Senate for confirmation and screening.
Amupitan’s appointment marks a significant transition at the electoral commission, as Nigeria looks ahead to key off-cycle elections and preparations for the 2027 general polls.
