Some social media users claim that 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 election tribunal.
Some of the users who published the post claimed that Amupitan is not qualified to lead the county’s electoral body owing to the purported legal services to Tinubu.
The claim circulated online after Tinubu nominated Amupitan as the new INEC chairman following the exit of Mahmood Yakubu, who has completed his two-term of 10 years.
Amupitan, 58, is a professor of law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau state, where he also serves as the deputy vice-chancellor (administration).
In a news report published by National Periscope, Coalition of Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria (COCSON) was quoted to have said that Amupitan was the lead counsel of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Tinubu at the presidential election petition tribunal for the 2023 elections.
An X user, @dangbanamanger, wrote: “The National Council of State which includes the President, VP, former Presidents, former Chief Justices, Senate President, Speaker, all Governors, and the AGF approved this INEC Chairman. This same man was once APC’s counsel and part of Tinubu’s election tribunal legal team. At this point, it’s either the opposition are jokers or Nigerians are just being taken for a ride.”
The claim was published here and here.
VERIFICATION
To verify the claim on whether Amupitan was part of Tinubu’s legal team, CableCheck searched through the certified true copies (CTC) of the verdicts of the presidential election petition tribunal and the supreme court on the 2023 presidential elections.
The CTC usually has all the names of lawyers who represented parties in the case.
CableCheck discovered that Amupitan’s name was not listed as counsel in the case.
However, we noticed that the name “Taiwo Osipitan” was listed among the counsel that represented Tinubu in the case.
It is possible that those who shared the claim had mistaken Taiwo Osipitan for Joash Amupitan.
Taiwo Osipitan, a senior advocate of Nigeria, is a professor of law at the University of Lagos.
Wole Olanipekun, a SAN, was the lead counsel of Tinubu’s legal team at the tribunal and the supreme court.
The counsel who defended Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Kabir Masari, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the petition filed by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) were:
- L.O. Fagbemi (SAN)
- Adeniyi Akintola (SAN)
- Aliyu O. Saiki (SAN)
- A.M. Rafindadi (SAN)
- Ahmad El-Marzuq (Esq)
- Omosanya Popoola (Esq)
- Folake Abiodun (Esq)
- Wole Olanipekun (SAN)
- Akin Olujinmi (SAN)
- Yusuf All (SAN)
- Babatunde Ogala (SAN)
- Funmilayo Quadri (SAN)
- A.R. Arobo (Esq)
- Akintola Makinde (Esq)
- Yinka Ajenifuja (Esq)
- Rowland Otaru (SAN)
- A.A. Malik (SAN)
- Chris E. Agbiti (Esq)
- Gabriel M. Ishom (Esq)
- Yomi Aliyu (SAN)
- G.M. Ishom (Esq)
- O.R. Iyere (Esq)
- Edeji Adaeze (Esq)
Lawyers who represented Tinubu, Shettima, and APC in the petition filed by Peter Obi, Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate, were:
- Wole Olanipekun (SAN)
- Akin Olujinmi (SAN)
- Yusuf Ali (SAN)
- Emmanuel Ukala (SAN)
- Talwo Osipitan (SAN)
- Dele Adesina (SAN)
- Hassan Liman (SAN)
- Olatunde Busari (SAN)
- A.U. Mustapha (SAN)
- Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN)
- Bode Olanipekun (SAN)
- A.A. Malik (SAN)
- Funmilayo Quadri (SAN)
- Babatunde Ogala (SAN)
- Remi Olatubora (SAN)
- M.O. Adebayo (SAN)
- Emmanuel Uwadoka (Esq)
- Yinka Ajenifuja (Esq)
- Akintola Makinde (Esq)
- L.O. Fagbemi (SAN)
- Charles U. Edosomwan (SAN)
- Adeniyi Akintola (SAN)
- Afolabi Fashanu (SAN)
- Chukwuma Ekomani (SAN)
- Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN)
- Solomon Umoh (SAN)
- Hakeem O. Afolabi (SAN)
- Y.Η.Α.Ruba (SAN)
- Anthony Adeniyi (SAN)
- Mumuni Hanafi (SAN)
- Japhat Opawale (Esq)
- Olanrewaju Akinshola (Esq)
- Huwaila M. Ibrahim (Esq)
The following are the lawyers who defended Tinubu, Shettima, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the petition filed by Atiku Abubakar,2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at the tribunal:
- Wole Olanipekun (SAN)
- Akin Olujinmi (SAN)
- Yusuf Ali (SAN)
- Emmanuel Ukala (SAN)
- Taiwo Osipitan (SAN)
- Adebayo Adelodun (SAN)
- Oladele Adesina (SAN)
- Hassan Liman (SAN)
- Olatunde Busari (SAN)
- Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN)
- Bode Olanipekun (SAN)
- Funmilayo Quadri (SAN)
- Babatunde Ogala (SAN)
- Remi Olatubora (SAN)
- M.O. Adebayo (SAN)
- A.A. Malik (SAN)
- Yinka Ajenifuja (Esq)
- Akintola Makinde (Esq)
- Julius Ishola (Esq)
- L.O. Fagbemi (SAN)
- Charles U. Edosomwan (SAN)
- Adeniyi Akintola (SAN)
- A. Fashanu (SAN)
- Chukwuma Ekoneani (SAN)
- Abiodun J. Owonikoko (SAN)
- Sam T. Ologunorisha (SAN)
- Solomon Umoh (SAN)
- Hakeem O. Afolabi (SAN)
- Olusola Oke (SAN)
- Aliyu O. Saiki (SAN)
- Y.H.A. Ruba (SAN)
- Anthony Adeniyi (SAN)
- Mumuni Hanafi (SAN)
- Ahmad El-Marzuq (Esq)
- Seun Ajayi (Esq)
- Omosanya Popoola (Esq)
- Adeniji Kazeem (SAN)
At the supreme court, the following lawyers represented Tinubu, Shettima, and the APC:
- Wole Olanipekun (SAN)
- Yusuf Ali (SAN)
- Emmanuel Ukala (SAN)
- Taiwo Osipitan (SAN)
- Akintola Makinde (Esq)
- Akin Olujinmi (SAN)
- Charles Uwensuji Edosomwon
- Adeniyi Akintola (SAN)
- Afolabi Fashanu (SAN)
- Olumide Olujinmi (Esq)
Copies of the judgment can be seen here and here.
VERDICT
Available evidence showed that Amupitan was not a member of Tinubu’s legal team at the 2023 election tribunal.
