23 astonishing facts about new INEC Chairman, Prof. Amupitan

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) has emerged as a historic figure following his nomination as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

A distinguished legal scholar and reform-driven academic, Amupitan’s career spans over three decades of teaching, research, and legal advocacy. From his humble beginnings in Kogi State to his rise as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos, his story is one of intellect, integrity, and quiet revolution in Nigerian law.

Here are 23 astonishing facts about the man set to steer Nigeria’s electoral future.

1. Amupitan is the first person from Kogi State ever nominated to lead INEC, breaking a regional precedent in Nigeria’s electoral history.

2. He holds all his degrees-LL.B, LL.M, and Ph.D from the same university, the University of Jos, where he was a Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

3. Amupitan began teaching at age 22 and rose from Assistant Lecturer to full Professor of Law in less than 20 years.

4. He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2014, joining the elite league of Nigeria’s most distinguished legal minds.

5. He’s an academic who’s also a top legal practitioner, merging the courtroom with the classroom, a rare balance in Nigerian academia.

6. Amupitan has trained and mentored more than 40 postgraduate law scholars, including 13 PhDs, many of whom now teach across Nigeria and beyond.

7. His research has shaped national policy, influencing reforms in electoral law, corporate governance, and privatisation.

8. He’s a walking legal library, with over 50 publications and five major law textbooks studied in universities and used by practising lawyers.

9. He was a double university leader, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Jos and Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of Council at Joseph Ayo Babalola University.

10. He believes “safety and integrity” are the soul of law, a philosophy reflected in his leadership style and writings.

11. Amupitan once chaired both the Committee of Deans and the Faculty of Law at UNIJOS, guiding two of the university’s most powerful academic organs.

12. His academic rise was meteoric, from lecturer to Reader in 14 years, to Professor by 2008.

14. He started his professional journey in Bauchi, serving at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation during his NYSC year (1988–1989).

15. Amupitan has redefined legal education in northern Nigeria, helping modernise law curricula and supervision standards.

16. He’s a respected voice in the Nigerian Bar Association, where his work on corporate governance earned him national recognition.

17. He’s not just a law professor but a reformer, championing the legal framework for privatisation, petroleum law, and election reform in Nigeria.

18. Amupitan is one of few SANs to have built his entire career in the university system, rather than the courtroom.

19. He’s a homegrown intellectual powerhouse, with every degree and promotion earned within Nigeria-no foreign study, no shortcuts.

20. He was appointed Pro-Chancellor of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in 2023, marking a rare dual leadership between two major institutions.

21. He’s deeply family-oriented, often crediting his wife, Dr (Mrs) Yemisi Amupitan, for his success; together they’re raising four children.

22. At 58, he remains one of Nigeria’s youngest professors to hold the SAN title, combining academic depth with courtroom prestige.

23. He’s from Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu LGA,  a small Kogi town now on Nigeria’s electoral map thanks to his INEC nomination.