Babatunde Ogala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former coordinator of President Bola Tinubu’s presidential legal team, has firmly denied reports claiming that Joash Ojo Amupitan, the newly nominated chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was involved in defending Tinubu’s 2023 election victory at the tribunal.
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Tinubu nominated Amupitan, a 58-year-old professor of law and deputy vice-chancellor (administration) at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), to replace outgoing INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, whose 10-year tenure has ended. The Council of State unanimously approved the nomination on Thursday, with final confirmation pending from the Senate.
Social media and reports quickly alleged Amupitan’s role in Tinubu’s legal defense, sparking concerns about impartiality at INEC. In a statement released Friday, Ogala dismissed these claims as “malicious fabrications,” emphasizing that Amupitan was never among the 123 lawyers including 60 SANs engaged for the case.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Prof. Amupitan SAN was never, at any point, a member of the Tinubu Presidential Legal Team,” Ogala stated. “His name does not appear among the over one hundred and twenty-three legal practitioners who were formally engaged for that assignment. At no time during the entire process was his counsel, opinion, or professional service sought or rendered.”
Ogala challenged skeptics to provide evidence and suggested the public could verify by obtaining Certified True Copies (CTCs) of tribunal and Supreme Court filings, where Amupitan’s name does not appear. He urged political discourse to remain grounded in truth to preserve national stability.
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