This development was announced in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday.
President Bola Tinubu presented Amupitan’s name to the Council during its meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The appointment follows the completion of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s 10-year tenure in October 2025.
According to the President, Professor Amupitan, a 58-year-old legal scholar from Kogi State, is the first person from Nigeria’s North-Central region to be nominated for the position of INEC Chairman.
Council members reportedly gave their unanimous support to the nomination. Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, described Amupitan as “a man of integrity and proven leadership.”
“In compliance with constitutional provisions, President Tinubu will now send Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation,” the statement added.
Born on April 25, 1967, in Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Professor Amupitan is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, where he currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration).
