By Golok Nanmwa, Jos
The North-Central All Progressives Congress, APC, Forum has commended President Bola Tinubu on the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, is from Kogi State in the North-Central region.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Saturday by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, a member of the APC campaign council in the 2023 election, the North-Central APC Forum also lauded the National Council of State for approving Amupitan’s appointment as INEC chairman.
The Forum assured Tinubu and all Nigerians that Amupitan will deliver credible elections all through his tenure as head of Nigeria’s electoral umpire.
The Forum, comprising APC stakeholders from the North-Central, thanked Tinubu for finding somebody from the region worthy of handling the sensitive assignment of overseeing Nigeria’s electoral system.
“The North-Central APC Forum has welcomed with gladness and a sense of pride, the appointment of one of the region’s illustrious sons, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. This development is further attestation of the calibre of human resources in the North-Central, which are readily available to be deployed in various critical and sensitive roles for the development of the nation.
“We commend President Bola Tinubu for appointing Professor Amupitan as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, and also thank the National Council of State for approving the appointment.
“Professor Amupitan’s track record, as an accomplished legal scholar and practitioner, university administrator and illustrious academia, shows that he has the capacity for the job, especially as he is coming on board at a time Nigerians are getting set for crucial elections.
“Having followed Professor Amupitan’s career over the years and taking special note of his distinguished role at the University of Jos, where, as a
Professor of Law, he has lectured and mentored generations of lawyers and academics for over three decades, we can assure President Tinubu and Nigerians that Professor Amupitan will deliver credible, free and fair elections all through his tenure as INEC chairman.
“We are certain that Professor Amupitan is the right choice, a round peg in a round hole, and we call on all Nigerians, particularly stakeholders in the electoral system, to give him all the necessary support to succeed in this crucial national assignment,” parts of the statement read.
Amupitan, from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, UNIJOS, with specialisation in areas such as Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance and Privatisation Law.
He was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, in September 2014, following several years of service in the academia.
Amupitan has held several leadership positions at UNIJOS, including Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008–2014), Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012–2014), and Head of Public Law (2006–2008).
Until his appointment as INEC chairman, he was serving as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) in the university.
Beyond UNIJOS, Amupitan is the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.
He also has experience outside the academia, as he sits on the board of Integrated Dairies Limited, Vom, and previously served on the Council of Legal Education, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council, and as a board member of Riss Oil Limited.
He has authored several books used in legal education, including Corporate Governance: Models and Principles (2008), Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008), and Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria (2013).
Born on April 25, 1967, Amupitan attended Kwara State Polytechnic (1982–1984) and the University of Jos (1984–1987), where he also earned his LLM (1993) and PhD (2007).