Politics
We Won’t Recognise Elections Conducted by Amupitan – Shari’ah Council, MURIC Tell Tinubu
The controversy surrounding the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has intensified as two prominent Muslim organisations, the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) and the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), have jointly rejected his leadership, warning that elections conducted under him will lack credibility.
The groups accused Amupitan of religious bias and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately remove him to safeguard the integrity of the 2027 general elections.
Shari’ah Council Rejects Elections Under Amupitan
Speaking on Wednesday during the SCSN annual pre-Ramadan lecture and general assembly in Abuja, the council’s president, Sheikh Bashir Aliyu Umar, declared that the Muslim Ummah would not recognise any election conducted by INEC under Amupitan’s leadership.
Umar said the council had lost confidence in Amupitan’s ability to act impartially across Nigeria’s religious divides, citing his past writings on violence in the country.
“We demand the immediate removal and prosecution of the INEC chairman. No election conducted under a cloud of compromised integrity can be recognised as credible,” Umar said.
Controversial Legal Brief at Centre of Dispute
Both SCSN and MURIC hinged their opposition on a 2020 legal brief authored by Amupitan, which described violence in Nigeria as a genocide against Christians—a claim repeatedly dismissed by the Federal Government.
Amupitan was listed as a contributor to the publication Nigeria’s Silent Slaughter: Genocide in Nigeria and the Implications for the International Community, released by the International Committee on Nigeria (ICON) and the International Organisation on Peace-building and Social Justice (PSJ).
He reportedly authored an 80-page chapter titled “Legal Brief: Genocide in Nigeria”, arguing that killings linked to Boko Haram and attacks attributed to “Fulani herdsmen” amounted to a coordinated anti-Christian campaign requiring international intervention.
The brief also accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect victims and ensure justice positions critics say fuel division and undermine national cohesion.
MURIC Echoes Sack Call
Earlier, MURIC had also called on President Tinubu to sack Amupitan, warning that his continued leadership of INEC threatens electoral credibility.
In a statement issued by its Kano State chairman, Malam Hassan Sani Indabawa, MURIC described the legal brief as “hate-filled” and evidence of open resentment toward Muslims.
“Our demand for Amupitan’s removal, resignation, or prosecution is to protect and safeguard the credibility of the 2027 general elections,” MURIC said.
MURIC’s Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, further questioned Amupitan’s ability to oversee elections impartially given what he described as “shocking and divisive assertions” in the brief.
Legal Action, Wider Concerns Raised
Sheikh Umar revealed that legal challenges are already underway questioning the legitimacy of Amupitan’s appointment.
“We are an advocacy group and will support any legal effort challenging the veracity of his appointment,” he said.
Beyond the INEC controversy, the Shari’ah council:
- Rejected the narrative of “Christian genocide”
- Warned against foreign military interference
- Condemned terrorism in all forms
- Called for protection of constitutional provisions on Shari’ah, stressing it applies only to Muslims
Umar also urged the National Assembly to conduct public hearings and forensic reviews of laws passed since the 10th Assembly commenced.
INEC Responds Indirectly
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from INEC were unsuccessful. However, a senior INEC official, speaking anonymously, dismissed calls for Amupitan’s removal as outside the commission’s mandate.
The official noted that:
- Amupitan’s appointment followed constitutional and legal procedures
- INEC operates as a collegiate body with decisions taken collectively
- Any action regarding his removal lies solely with the appointing authority
“To me, it is not in the purview of the commission to respond to these calls,” the source said, adding that INEC remains focused on delivering free, fair, and credible elections.
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