Fact check: Was Professor Amupitan part of Tinubu’s 2023 tribunal legal team?

By Nchetachi Chukwuajah

Claims that Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) was the lead counsel of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election petition tribunal at the Supreme Court has been proven as false.

This was the result of various checks across multiple Artificial Intelligence (AI) fact-checking platforms by Impact Nigeria Newspaper and court documents analysed by CableCheck.

These checks became imperative following the call by a coalition of over 100 lawyers under the aegis of Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) for the Senate to reject the nomination of Professor Amupitan as the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the basis that he was the lead counsel of the APC in the 2023 presidential election petition tribunal at the Supreme Court.

The lawyers’ demand was contained in a letter dated October 10, 2025, signed by the association’s Administrative Secretary, Jesse Williams Amuga and addressed to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Simon Lalong.

In the letter, the lawyers argued that such political affiliation and professional engagement present a “clear case of bias, conflict of interest, and violation of statutory codes of conduct.”

“Having previously served as Lead Counsel to the APC, Prof Amupitan cannot credibly discharge the duties of an INEC Chairman, who must remain impartial in elections involving the APC and other parties,” the letter read.

However, a fact check by Impact Nigeria Newspaper using My AIFactchecker, an AI fact-checking platform, shows the claim by the ALDRAP is false.

The result of the check read, “The claim that Joash Amupitan was the lead counsel for the APC in the 2023 election petition tribunal at the Supreme Court is false.

“The evidence provided shows that there is no verified record of Professor Joash Amupitan being part of President Tinubu’s 2023 tribunal legal team.

“Court documents and statements from senior advocates confirm that Amupitan was not involved in the legal team that defended President Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election petition.

“Additionally, a coalition of over 1,000 lawyers has called for Amupitan’s disqualification as INEC chairman, citing concerns about his involvement in the 2023 election petition. However, this does not directly confirm or deny the claim that Amupitan was the lead counsel for the APC. “Given the overwhelming evidence that Amupitan was not part of President Tinubu’s 2023 tribunal legal team, it is reasonable to conclude that the claim is false.”

Also checks by CableCheck through the certified true copies (CTC) of the verdicts of the presidential election petition tribunal and the Supreme Court on the 2023 presidential elections showed that Amupitan’s name was not listed as counsel in the case.

However, the name “Taiwo Osipitan” was listed among the counsel that represented Tinubu in the case, pointing to the possibility that those who shared the claim had mistaken Taiwo Osipitan for Joash Amupitan.

Wole Olanipekun, a SAN, was the lead counsel of Tinubu’s legal team at the tribunal and the Supreme Court.

The CTC analysed by CableCheck also showed that 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 Ali (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), and Edeji Adaeze (Esq).

Lawyers who represented Tinubu, Shettima, and APC in the petition filed by Peter Obi, Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election were; Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Akin Olujinmi (SAN), Yusuf Ali (SAN), Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), Taiwo 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), and Huwaila M. Ibrahim (Esq).

The lawyers who defended Tinubu, Shettima, and the APC in the petition filed at the tribunal by Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were;  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), and Adeniji Kazeem (SAN).

The following lawyers represented Tinubu, Shettima, and the APC at the Supreme Court; 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), and Olumide Olujinmi (Esq).