The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has intensified calls for the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that his leadership poses a risk to electoral credibility, According to Arise news.
Speaking at the Council’s 2026 Annual Pre-Ramadan Lecture and General Assembly in Abuja, SCSN President, Sheikh Bashir Umar, said Muslims across the country would not recognise or legitimise any election conducted under Amupitan. The event was themed “Nigeria’s Future: Faith, Justice, and Leadership.”
Umar said the Council’s position was informed by what it described as troubling past actions attributed to the INEC chairman, including a legal brief allegedly authored by him that suggested the existence of a Christian genocide in Nigeria. He noted that such claims contradict the Federal Government’s official stance and, in the Council’s view, raise questions about Amupitan’s neutrality.
According to Umar, impartiality and integrity are essential qualities for the head of the nation’s electoral body, adding that the chairman should step aside in the interest of national unity. He disclosed that while the SCSN is not pursuing court action, other groups have reportedly approached the judiciary to challenge Amupitan’s appointment.
INEC sources dismissed the allegations as unfounded and said the commission would not respond to what it described as publicity-seeking claims. Beyond the electoral issue, the Council also raised concerns about insecurity, economic hardship, perceived imbalance in federal appointments, and alleged attempts to weaken the constitutional right to practise Shari’ah in Muslim-majority states, while cautioning against narratives it said could inflame religious divisions.