New INEC Chairman Emerges, as Yakubu Proceeds on Terminal Leave

THERE are strong indications that President Bola Tinubu may have settled for Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan as the new Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Amupitan will replace Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of INEC. It is gathered that Yakubu has been directed to proceed on terminal leave ahead of the expiration of his second tenure in November 2025.

Prof. Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria from Kogi State, is a seasoned legal scholar with over 34 years of experience.

He is currently Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos and also serves as Pro-Chancellor and Governing Council Chairman of Joseph Ayo Babalola University.

Amupitan holds Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees in Law from the University of Jos and has held prominent positions, including Dean of the Faculty of Law, Head of the Department of Public Law, and member of several university governing councils

Yakubu was appointed in 2015 and reappointed in 2020 and has overseen Nigeria’s electoral process for nearly a decade.