Unless there is a change of heart at the last minute, President Bola Tinubu will be presenting his nomination for the position of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the National Council of State on Thursday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The move comes when the term of the immediate past INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, expires next month. But on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, Yakubu actually handed over power to the most experienced National Commissioner, Dame May Agbamuche-Mbu, marking the beginning of his resignation from the Commission.
Of the three contenders reportedly shortlisted for the position, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, a respected academic and lawyer from Kogi State, has also been named by some as the President Tinubu’s preferred candidate. According to a presidency source, Amupitan has undergone security clearance prior to being announced formally.
April 25, 1967, was the date of birth of Amupitan in Aiyetoro-Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area, Kogi State. He is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), University of Jos. Amupitan holds the rank of Professor of Law with specialization in the Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, and Privatisation Law.
As disclosed by presidency officials, President Tinubu took a keen interest in the exercise of selection, referring to it as a deliberate effort to ensure that credibility, impartiality, and public confidence were guaranteed in the electoral body.
“The President desires somebody who will give public confidence to INEC again. His choice is an expression of his determination to ensure the integrity of future elections,” a source affirmed.
It was also revealed that the President went against pressure from various prominent politicians who were demanding to have their desired candidates for the top electoral seat. “Some who are pushing are influenced by personal interest control of contracts, influence on election logistics, and other interests but the President stayed cool and objective,” the source added.
Tinubu was also said to have consulted the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, a retired Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), who offered advice on the process without doing anything that would constitute political interference.
Observers attest that Tinubu’s rapid response is far different from that of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who waited for months to name a substantive INEC chairman when Professor Attahiru Jega departed in 2015, with controversy clouding an acting appointment.
By acting quickly, analysts believe Tinubu is trying to pre-empt vacancies in institutions and show he is serious about credible polls. “The President understands that an international reputation of a leader is inextricably linked with the integrity of elections conducted under his watch,” a senior government official explained.
Meanwhile, sources suggest Yakubu’s discreet departure may have been prompted by internal disagreements, particularly over the recent registration of new political parties. INEC proceeded and approved about a dozen of the over 110 new parties submitted, one of which was allegedly converted into an alternative platform for a top politician in the South East, resulting in tensions and prompting action from Abuja.
By Section 153(1) and the Third Schedule to the Constitution of 1999 (as amended), the President shall make the appointments into INEC after consultations with the National Council of State and the Senate shall confirm them.
Subject to confirmation by the Senate, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan shall be the sixth substantive INEC Chairman since 1999, succeeding Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who has headed the Commission since 2015.
