As the National Council of States meets on Thursday, Nigerians would be eager to know if the projection that Professor Joash Amupitan who hails from Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State is the man to preside over the 2027 General Election as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
It is projected that barring any last minute change the legal scholar and administrator with over 34 years of academic and professional experience will get the nod, having been tipped by President Bola Tinubu, to replace Mamood Yakubu as the INEC helmsman.
Amupitan began his academic journey at the University of Jos in 1989 as an Assistant Lecturer. He steadily rose through the academic ranks, becoming a Reader in 2003 and a Professor of Law in 2008.
Over the years, he has held several key administrative positions, including Head of Department of Public Law, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors, and a member of the University’s Governing Council.
He has also served on the Governing Councils of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the Council of Legal Education. Today, he serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos.
In December 2023, Professor Amupitan was inaugurated as the second Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), thereby affording him affiliation with the school.
The Law professor is said to have obtained his Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Jos in 1987 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 after completing the Barrister at Law program at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos.
He went on to earn a Master of Law degree in 1993 and a Ph.D. in Law in 2007, both from the University of Jos. He was conferred with the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) title in 2014.
His areas of specialisation include the Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, and Privatisation Law.
Amupitan has contributed to research, focusing on the legal frameworks for privatisation, reform of electoral laws, and reforms in petroleum and corporate governance laws.
Prof. Amupitan is an active member of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigerian Institute of Management, and the National Association of Law Teachers.
He is married to Dr. (Mrs.) Yemisi Amupitan, and together, they are blessed with four children.
