February 02, (THEWILL) — Calls for the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Joash Amupitan took a devious turn on Thursday, January 29, 2025 when the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN) declared that it would not recognise or accept legitimacy of elections conducted under conditions that it deems compromised, warning that the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process must be protected, ahead of the 2027 general election. Since then, groups for and against Amupitan has increased, fuelling a controversy that may affect the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general election.
At the Council’s Annual Pre-Ramadan lecture and General Assembly, attended by Islamic scholars, traditional and community leaders, professionals, representatives of Islamic organisations and the media in Abuja, President of the Council, Sheikh Bashir Aliyu Umar, said public confidence in institutions, particularly those responsible for elections, was central to national stability.
Noting that democratic legitimacy could not exist without integrity, he said, “The Council has clearly stated that the Ummah will not recognise or legitimise any election presided over by a character with questionable integrity, as democratic credibility must never be compromised,” Umar said. According to the Council, developments surrounding the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, shows that elections conducted under questionable circumstances would lack public trust.
“No election conducted under a cloud of compromised integrity can be recognised as credible,” the Council stated. The Council demanded the removal and prosecution of Prof Amupitan as they questioned his integrity over a legal brief in which he reportedly claimed that persecution of Christians in Nigeria constituted genocide. The matter gained traction following the Christmas Day US air strikes in Nigeria after President Donald Trump claimed that Christians were being targeted by terrorists operating in the country.
In a follow-up BBC interview, however, Sheikh Umar, further said, “We stand by what we said and the INEC chairman has not come out to say we lied. He stands by what he believes and does not see the need to come out and talk about it. We believe that anyone holding this position must be someone who has been investigated by the government and will not be biased. The right thing is for him to resign. If not, the government should remove him because the electoral process under him is something people will not believe in,” he said.
No sooner had Umar issued his warning than the Christian Association in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) rejected the Council’s position. The Chairman of CAN, Northern chapter, Reverend Joseph John Hayab and Secretary-General, Bishop Mohammed Naga, questioned the motive behind the growing calls for Amupitan’s sack among Muslim religious groups.
Hayab stated that Professor Amupitan has a constitutional right to freedom of religion and added that attempts to politicise institutions and agencies was dangerous for the unity and progress of the country.
“Anyone hiding under the guise of the Shari’ah Council to demand the removal of the INEC chairman over political or sectarian interests should come out boldly. Otherwise, the ploy has died naturally, he said, adding, “Are they saying that no other religion should serve as INEC chairman except Muslims? The most important question Nigerians should ask is whether Professor Amupitan is competent or not. That should be the focus, not his faith.”
Praising President Bola Tinubu for appointing Amupitan for the INEC job, the association questioned whether there was not a religious dimension to ongoing political plan for the upcoming general election in 2027, citing recent comments by the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, who warned that the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, risk alienating northern votes in 2027 if the party changes its Muslim-Muslim ticket for Tinubu’s re-election.
Following Shiek Umar’s footsteps, the Chairman of Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, Kano State chapter, Malam Hassan Sani Indabawa, said that the group aligns itself with the SCSN’s, “ noble, consistent, justifiable and objective position.” He recalled that in two separate press statements of 10th November, 2025 and 24th November, 2025, his chapter of MURIC demanded the removal of the INEC boss, for writing a hate-filled legal brief to the United States on alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria.
“In the two statements, MURIC asked the Federal Government why the INEC boss has not been removed since the revelation of his unpatriotic, spiteful, costly and dastardly act. He said that apart from the SCSN, the Da’awah Coordination Council of Nigeria, DCCN, had made a similar call.
“In 2020, Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) published a 80-page Legal Brief titled, “Legal Brief: Genocide in Nigeria: The Implications for the International Community”. The document was commissioned by the International Committee on Nigeria (ICON) and the International Organisation on Peace-building & Social Justice (PSJ), and was later highlighted in the “Religious Freedom in the World 2025” report. Amupitan’s legal brief argued that attacks by Boko Haram and “Fulani herdsmen” were not merely localised conflicts but formed a “coordinated anti-Christian campaign”. He clearly expressed that, it was a “notorious fact” that crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide were being perpetrated in Nigeria.
“In Amupitan’s hateful, mischievous and highly divisive brief, he further accused the Nigerian authorities of failing in their constitutional duty to provide security, arguing that the government deliberately avoided the term “genocide” to avoid international intervention and accountability. From all intent and purpose, this assertion is quite outrageous —and outlandish!
“Amupitan’s bigoted position has evidently contrasted with the Federal Government of Nigeria that has been consistent in dismissing the allegations of genocide against Christians, creating a direct contradiction between Amupitan’s 2020 legal opinion and the official government stance. “Our position, therefore, is that the demand for Amupitan’s immediate removal, resignation, or prosecution is to protect and safeguard the credibility of the 2027 general election.
“Allowing Amupitan to superintend Nigeria’s electoral processes will largely erode credibility and legitimacy of any election as his integrity is already comprised.We therefore demand the immediate removal of Amupitan, for his glaring partisanship and open despise and resentment against Nigerian Muslims.”
On Saturday, January 31, 2025, the Middle Belt Youth Forum, MBYF, joined the fray. Its leader, Comrade Meliga Godwin, described remarks made by Sheikh Umar and the SCSN as “inflammatory and divisive rhetoric”, warning that they could erode public trust in democratic institutions and heighten political and religious tensions across the country. He stated that the Council’s call for Amupitan’s resignation or sacking amounted to a plot to undermine the 2027 election. “Your plot to undermine the 2027 election is an act of treason,” Godwin said in a statement.
The MBYF maintained that “Nigeria’s democracy is anchored on constitutional processes, the rule of law and respect for independent institutions, urging socio-religious organisations, political actors and other stakeholders to exercise restraint in public communication and pursue dialogue through lawful means.”
Pundits view the development as a part of the ongoing strategy by groups to protect their interests ahead of the 2027 general election.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
