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By Oscar Okhifo, Abuja<\/p>\n
The National Council of State has approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following a recommendation by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.<\/p>\n
The approval, which came during the Council\u2019s meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, effectively sets the stage for the appointment of the renowned legal scholar, pending confirmation by the Senate as required by law.<\/p>\n
Professor Amupitan, 58, succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure as INEC Chairman officially ended earlier this month after steering the commission through two general election cycles.<\/p>\n
A Professor of Law at the University of Jos and former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of the same institution, Amupitan is widely regarded as an expert in Company Law, Evidence Law, and Corporate Governance. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 and elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2014.<\/p>\n
The Kogi State-born legal luminary currently serves as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State. He has also served on the boards of several national institutions, including the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the Council of Legal Education.<\/p>\n
According to a statement from the presidency, President Tinubu described Amupitan as \u201ca man of integrity and impeccable professional record whose appointment will strengthen Nigeria\u2019s democratic process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Members of the Council of State, which includes former presidents, state governors, and other key national figures, reportedly gave unanimous support to the nomination.<\/p>\n
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, also lauded the development, describing the nominee as \u201ca distinguished son of Kogi and a man of proven capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n
If confirmed by the Senate, Amupitan will become the first person from Kogi State to occupy the position of INEC Chairman.<\/p>\n
His appointment is coming at a critical time, with the electoral body expected to embark on major reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.<\/p>\n
Analysts say the new chairman will be faced with the challenge of rebuilding public trust in the electoral process, strengthening internal operations, and ensuring credible conduct of upcoming off-cycle and general elections.<\/p>\n
With the Council\u2019s endorsement, the nomination now moves to the Senate for screening and final approval before Amupitan formally assumes office as the nation\u2019s chief electoral umpire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Oscar Okhifo, Abuja The National Council of State has approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), as the new Chairman of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":122876,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n