President’s Possible INEC Pick is Veteran Law Teacher

•Became SAN in 2014

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, President Bola Tinubu, is said to be strongly considering Prof. Joash Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) from Kogi state, who has taught in Nigerian universities for several years, as the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

A professor of law, Amupitan is the current Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, University of Jos and was born in April 1967 in Aiyetoro-Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of the North-central state.

Amupitan if announced, will replace Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the outgoing Chairman of INEC, who has served as Chairman of Nigeria’s electoral commission since November 2015.  Yakubu is expected to retire a day after the Anambra governorship election on November 8, after serving his two terms in office.

A top of the class student in his heyday, Amupitan obtained his LL.B. Hons Degree in 1987, emerging as the best graduating student that year and winning all the academic awards in the Faculty of Law.

These included the University of Jos Prize for the best Graduating Law Student, 1987, Richard Akinjide’s Prize for the Best Graduating Law Student, 1987, Gally-Brown Peterside Prize for the best Graduating law student, 1987 as well as the  UniJos Chancellor Prize for the best graduating student, 1987.

After his LL.B (Hons) degree, Amupitan attended the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos, Lagos State for his Barrister at Law (BL) in 1988 and was called to the Nigeria Bar on November 3, 1988.

He obtained his Masters of Law degree from the University of Jos in 1993 and Ph.D in Law in 2007. He had his compulsory NYSC primary assignment with Bauchi State Printing and Publishing Corporation in 1988. He was also appointed the Legal Adviser to Bauchi State NYSC during his one-year national service. He won the NYSC Director’s Merit award for outstanding performance.

A thoroughbred law professor, Amupitan joined the services of the University of Jos in 1989 as an Assistant Lecturer and became a Professor of Law on October 1, 2008. He has taught in the University for decades  and has supervised several Ph.D and Masters Students. In June 2014, he won the Teslim Elias Award for meritorious service, having taught in a Nigerian University for over 25 years at the time.

In June 2006, Professor Amupitan was appointed Head, Department of Public Law, University of Jos; a position he held until May 26, 2008 when he was appointed the Dean Faculty of Law. He was later elected as a substantive Dean of the Faculty of Law in August 2010 and re-elected for another term of two  years in August 2012.

Amupitan’s area of specialisation is in Company Law, Corporate Governance Law and the Law of Evidence. He has taught Company Law and Law of Evidence at undergraduate level since 1989 and Law of Corporate Governance to postgraduate students since 2006.

Amupitan has also been involved in several litigation at all levels of Courts in Nigeria spanning electoral matters, constitutional matters, criminal matters, corporate matters, land matters, among others.

He has also been involved in corporate law and practice in Nigeria and served as a member on the Board of several companies as well as  on the Governing Council of several Institutions within and outside Nigeria.

He has also served as an external examiner (Post Graduate) and External Assessor (Professorial Rank) to several Institutions within and outside Nigeria such as University of Fort Hare, National Islamic University, Malaysia, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Ilorin, University of Calabar, Benue State University, Kogi State University, University of Lagos, University of Benin and Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti.

He was a member of Vision 2020 on Corporate Governance Thematic Group, 2009, which helped in putting the Vision 2020 documents together for the federal government.

He was also a member of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Conflicts in Namu Town, Qua’an Pan L.G.A Plateau State, 2005-2006. The report of the panel helped in resolving the crisis in that part of Plateau State.

He is a member of several professional associations such as International Bar Association (IBA), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT), Nigerian Institute of Management and International Association of Law School (IALS). He has also published over 70 articles in reputable journals and books.

Conferred with the prestigious rank of SAN in August 2014, he was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, University of Jos on October 25, 2022. He is also the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji, Arakeji, Osun State.