The council of state has unanimously approved the nomination of Joash Ojo Amupitan, as the next chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the exit of Mahmood Yakubu.
The decision came during a meeting of the council held at the State House and presided over by President Bola Tinubu on Thursday.
The president presented Amupitan’s name as his preferred nominee to fill the leadership vacancy at the electoral commission.
Tinubu told the council that Amupitan, an indigene of Kogi state in the north-central geopolitical zone, is the first person from the state to be nominated for the role of INEC chairman.
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In a statement by Bayo Onanuga, his special adviser on information and strategy, Tinubu described the nominee as an “apolitical” figure.
Council members, including former heads of state, gave unanimous backing to the nomination. Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi state, also described Amupitan as a “man of integrity”.
In accordance with constitutional provisions, Tinubu is expected to forward the nominee’s name to the senate for screening and confirmation.
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Amupitan, 58, is a professor of law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau state, where he also serves as the deputy vice-chancellor (administration).
