He was the lead Counsel to the APC during the 2023 Presidential Election Petition - Over 1,000 lawyers urge senate to disqualify Amupitan as INEC Chairman

Controversy Surrounding Prof. Joash Amupitan’s Nomination as INEC Chairman

In October 2025, a significant legal and political controversy erupted in Nigeria following the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The nomination, made by the Council of State chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was immediately met with strong opposition from a coalition of over 1,000 Nigerian lawyers. 

These lawyers, operating under the aegis of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP), formally petitioned the Nigerian Senate to reject Amupitan’s appointment.

The core of the opposition stems from Amupitan’s previous role as Lead Counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 Presidential Election Petition at the Supreme Court. ALDRAP argued that this professional engagement with the ruling party presents a clear conflict of interest and undermines the neutrality required of an INEC Chairman. In their letter dated October 10, 2025, addressed to Senator Simon Lalong, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, the lawyers asserted that Amupitan’s political affiliations and legal advocacy for the APC compromise his ability to oversee free and fair elections in Nigeria.

The group emphasized that the integrity of INEC depends on the impartiality of its leadership. They warned that appointing someone with such a recent and prominent partisan role would violate constitutional principles and ethical standards of public service. ALDRAP’s Administrative Secretary, Jesse Williams Amuga, stated that the nomination not only breaches statutory codes of conduct but also risks eroding public trust in Nigeria’s electoral processes.

This development has sparked widespread debate across legal and political circles. Critics of the nomination argue that it sets a dangerous precedent for the politicization of electoral institutions, while supporters maintain that Amupitan’s legal expertise and academic credentials qualify him for the role.

As of now, the Senate has yet to make a final decision on the confirmation, but the petition has added considerable pressure and scrutiny to the process.