By Isiaq Ajibola
In the age of half-truths and erratic social media posts, it takes very little to smear the reputation of an individual, especially politically exposed persons like Prof. Joash Amupitan, who has recently been appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by President Tinubu.
Since the announcement on Wednesday, there has been a flurry of misinformation, most notably the one written by one Dr Osifeso, who claims there are “discrepancies” in the timeline of Amupitan’s education and career, widely circulated on social media.
These claims, while presented as public scrutiny debate, are built on ignorance, selective reading, and a poor grasp of Nigeria’s educational realities in the 1980s. As someone who shared part of that journey with Amupitan, I feel obliged to shed light on a debate that has so far produced more confusion than clarity.
Dr Osifeso argues that Prof. Amupitan could not have earned a law degree in three years because law programmes typically last five years atuniversity. This is not exactly true. Prof. Amupitan and I were classmates at Kwara State Polytechnic (then Kwara Tech), Ilorin, from 1982 to 1984, where we completed the GCE A-Level/IJMB preparatory programme, a rigorous pre-university course that offered direct entry into the second year of many degree programmes. It was a standard, JAMB-approved pathway used by some of the brightest students of our generation.
Upon completing the A-Levels, Amupitan proceeded to the University of Jos to study law in 1984. This route was so common for many students of our generation, and it barely raised an eyebrow; rather, it prepared students for a sound academic career at the university.
The “Age 15” question is a non-issue. That he was “too young” to be in a polytechnic at 15 may lack historical understanding of our time. Born in April 1967, he would indeed have been 15 in 1982.
Nigeria’s school system at the time allowed exceptional students to complete secondary school early and proceed straight into A-Levels when they passed their WAEC. That was exactly our own path, as I also graduated from Ahmadu Bello University at 23, despite a one-year stay at home after our “A” levels. There was nothing unusual about this; it was a mark of intellectual progression, not retrogression.
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I am surprised that some people doubted why an academic could become HOD before a PhD. This is normal practice in law faculties.
and becoming Head of Department (2006–2008) before completing his PhD in 2007 was normal. This is not abnormal; it is common in law faculties where an LL.M., professional experience, and a record of scholarship often outweigh a PhD when it comes to administrative leadership roles. Many law faculties in Nigeria, including the most prestigious, routinely appointed senior lecturers as heads of department or even deans long before they earned doctorates. Prof. Amupitan’s appointment must be a vote of confidence in his competence, not a breach of academic protocol. This fact was echoed by his colleagues at Jos in an extensive interview and interrogation of his appointment published by Daily Trust in its Friday edition.
Incidentally, Prof. Amupitan and I met again at NYSC when we both served in Bauchi between 1988 and 1989. We were in the same orientation camp until our different postings took us to our national assignments. The sequence, which is graduation, law school, call to the bar, then NYSC, aligns perfectly with the timeline I personally witnessed and can attest to.
The narrative that Prof. Amupitan’s record is “suspicious” is not investigative journalism; it is intellectual laziness masquerading as analysis.
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The timeline of his achievements is verifiable. We owe it to ourselves and to the integrity of our institutions to protect the truth, demand evidence, and reject distortions, especially when they are clearly designed to discredit excellence. Notwithstanding, the National Assembly has a duty to do due diligence in the screening of Prof. Amupitan. And I’m very confident that he will pass the scrutiny.
Ajibola is a former Managing Director of Daily Trust Newspaper.
