President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to nominate Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), except there are any last-minute changes to the plan.
This move follows the completion of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s 10-year tenure, which spanned two terms.
According to reliable sources, the President has scheduled a Council of State meeting for Thursday to officially endorse the appointment. Professor Amupitan, a respected legal scholar, is also known to be a longtime legal counsel and kinsman of Senator Dino Melaye.
Yakubu’s exit and political tension
GistReel has reported that Professor Yakubu was earlier directed by President Tinubu to proceed on leave before the expiration of his term. 
Sources within the Presidency described this as a reaction to what they termed Yakubu’s “last-minute betrayal” of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration that appointed him.
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State was said to have raised concerns during a private meeting with the President, accusing Yakubu of secretly supporting a governorship candidate in Imo and attempting to register new political parties toward the end of his tenure — a move believed to have unsettled the APC’s preparations for 2027.
Yakubu’s tenure at a glance
Professor Mahmood Yakubu was first appointed INEC Chairman by former President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2015, replacing Amina Zakari, who served in an acting capacity. He was reappointed in 2020 for a second and final term, which ends this year.
Amupitan’s career and achievements
Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, a native of Ijumu Local Government Area in Kogi State, boasts over 34 years of academic and legal experience. He joined the University of Jos in 1989 as an Assistant Lecturer and rose to the rank of Professor of Law in 2008.
He has held several key positions within the university system, including Head of the Department of Public Law, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors, and member of the University’s Governing Council. He currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos.
In December 2023, he was inaugurated as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU).
Educational background and recognition
Professor Amupitan obtained his Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Jos in 1987 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988. He later earned his Master’s degree in 1993 and a Ph.D. in Law in 2007, both from the same university.
He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2014 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the legal profession. His areas of expertise include Evidence Law, Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, and Privatisation Law.
He is also an active member of several professional organisations, such as the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigerian Institute of Management, and the National Association of Law Teachers.
If confirmed, Professor Amupitan will oversee Nigeria’s electoral body at a time when the credibility of elections remains a major topic of public discourse.