By Kevin Akor
Abuja, Nigeria — The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has called for the removal of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Joash Amupitan, warning that Muslims may neither recognise nor legitimise the 2027 general elections under his leadership.
The council cited concerns over Amupitan’s integrity and neutrality, pointing to a legal brief he allegedly authored suggesting the existence of a Christian genocide in Nigeria — a claim repeatedly dismissed by the federal government.
“This is not the first time the council is taking this position,” said Sheikh Bashir Umar, president of the SCSN, during the council’s 2026 Annual Pre-Ramadan Lecture and General Assembly in Abuja.
“In a legal brief he personally sent, he sought to establish the existence of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, a position that is directly at odds with the official stance of the federal government, which has categorically stated that no such genocide exists.”
Umar said Amupitan’s alleged position amounted to divisive propaganda and undermined his impartiality as head of the nation’s electoral body.
“For an umpire in a democratic process, integrity and neutrality are non-negotiable,” he added.
“As far as we are concerned, his integrity has been compromised. The honourable thing is for him to resign. If he does not, the government should dismiss or retire him.”
A source at INEC dismissed the council’s allegations, describing them as an attempt to attract publicity and refusing to comment further.
When asked whether the council would seek legal action, Umar said the SCSN was primarily an advocacy body, though he noted that other groups had already approached the courts to challenge Amupitan’s appointment and tenure.
“The Ummah will not recognise or legitimise any election presided over by a character with questionable integrity,” he said. “Democratic credibility must never be compromised.”
Beyond electoral concerns, the council also raised issues of worsening insecurity, economic hardship, alleged federal appointment imbalances, and threats to Muslims’ constitutional right to practise Shari’ah in majority-Muslim states.
Speaking at the event, House of Representatives Committee on Ecological Funds Chairman Aminu Sani Jaji highlighted the significance of the Pre-Ramadan lecture amid Nigeria’s socio-political and security challenges.
“Unverified and divisive narratives could worsen tensions if not responsibly addressed,” he said.
The chairman of the occasion, Madakin Zazzau Mallam Muhammadu Munir Ja’afaru, described the council as a principled voice for the Nigerian Muslim Ummah, promoting justice, peaceful coexistence, and national unity through constructive engagement.
