Olushola Omogbehin
Following the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, President Bola Tinubu has nominated Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), as the new Chairman of the electoral body.
The appointment was confirmed by the National Council of State on Thursday, .
In a statement issued by Presidential aide, Bayo Onanuga, Amupitan’s nomination makes it the first time a native of Kogi State will head Nigeria’s election management agency.
Joash Amupitan is a professor of law who hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi state.
Born on April 25, 1967, he attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin from 1982 to 1984 and the University of Jos from 1984 to 1987. He was thereafter called to the bar in 1988. He earned an LLM at UNIJOS in 1993 and a PhD in 2007
Amupitan who became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in September 2014, specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance and Privatisation Law.
He currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, a position he holds in conjunction with being the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.
At UNIJOS, he served as Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012-2014); Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008-2014) and Head of Public Law (2006-2008).
Outside academics, Amupitan serves as a board member of Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council and a member of the Council of Legal Education (2008-2014), among other roles. He was a board member of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja(1996-2004).
He has authored many books such as Corporate Governance: Models and Principles; Documentary Evidence in Nigeria; Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria, among others.
He is happily married to Dr. (Mrs.) Yemisi Amupitan and the union is blessed with four children.
