Prof Joash Amupitan
The coordinator of Tinubu presidential legal team (TPLT), Mr Babatunde Ogala, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has said that the newly nominated chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan, was not part of the legal team that defended President Bola Tinubu at the election tribunal.
President Tinubu had recently nominated Amupitan as the commission’s new chairman to succeed Prof Mahmood Yakubu, who just exited after completing his 10 year tenure.
This followed the unanimous approval on Thursday of Amupitan’s nomination by the Council of State. His nomination is subject to the Senate’s confirmation.
The 58 year old don is a professor of law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau state, where he also serves as the deputy vice-chancellor (administration).
Reports however surfaced shortly after his nomination that the newly nominated INEC chairman was among the lawyers who defended Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 elections at the tribunal.
In his reaction to the claim, Ogala said in a statement on Friday that Amupitan was not among the 123 lawyers assembled to represent Tinubu at the tribunal.
He challenged the claimants to produce evidence to indicate that Amupitan was among the Tinubu legal team.
Ogala’s words, “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,” the statement reads.
“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.”
