Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Babatunde Ogala, has dismissed claims that Professor Joash Amupitan, the newly nominated chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was part of the legal team that defended President Bola Tinubu at the 2023 election tribunal.
President Tinubu had, earlier this week, nominated Amupitan to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose 10-year tenure as INEC boss ended on Tuesday. On Thursday, the Council of State unanimously endorsed his nomination, which now awaits Senate confirmation.
Naijaonpoint understands that Amupitan, 58, is a professor of law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), where he also serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration).
Shortly after his nomination, reports circulated alleging that Amupitan was among the lawyers who represented Tinubu at the tribunal. But Ogala, who coordinated Tinubu’s legal team, described the claim as false.
In a statement issued on Friday, the SAN insisted that Amupitan’s name was never on the list of the 123 lawyers who defended the president.
The statement reads, “As the erstwhile coordinator of that legal team, I feel compelled, not as a rejoinder, but in service to truth and public interest, to set the records straight and allay any concerns these malicious fabrications may have caused among well-meaning Nigerians.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Prof. Amupitan SAN was never, at any point, a member of the Tinubu Presidential Legal Team.
“His name does not appear among the over one hundred and twenty-three legal practitioners who were formally engaged for that assignment, of whom sixty (60) were distinguished Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
“At no time during the entire process was his counsel, opinion, or professional service sought or rendered.
“I therefore challenge anyone peddling this falsehood to produce verifiable evidence to the contrary. In fact, any member of the public may apply for Certified True Copies of all legal processes filed on behalf of the president-elect (as he then was) to confirm the authenticity of this statement.
“While political discourse is inevitable in any democracy, it is essential that our engagement remains anchored on truth, decency, and national stability. Deliberately twisting facts to inflame public sentiment serves no one and only endangers our collective peace.”
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