2027 Election: Fresh Call Surfaces for INEC Chairman Amupitan’s Sack, Reason Emerges
- MURIC calls for the removal of INEC chairman over controversial legal brief on Christian genocide allegations
- Thousands die annually in Nigeria amidst complex violence involving Christians and Muslims, influenced by sectarian tensions
- Both the African Union and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reject genocide claims, emphasising terrorism as the core issue in Nigeria
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs and governance in Nigeria.
Ojo, Lagos State - Ahead of the 2027 elections, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has again demanded the sack of Prof. Joash Amupitan, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The faith-based rights organisation made this stance clear in a statement on Sunday, April 5, by Prof. Ishaq Akintola, its executive director.
Source: Twitter
MURIC declares Amupitan unacceptable person
MURIC said its grouse with INEC chairman is the "toxic 80-page legal brief" authored by the INEC helmsman, which "was one of the major documents used by the United States (US) to indict Nigeria on the highly controversial and volatile issue of Christian genocide."
The statement said:
"We are highly disappointed with both the federal government (FG) and Professor Joash Amupitan for their graveyard silence over the demand of the Nigerian Muslim Community that the INEC boss should be removed for penning the toxic 80-page legal brief which was one of the major documents used by the United States of America to indict Nigeria on the highly controversial and volatile issue of Christian genocide.
"We are especially disappointed that FG has elected to ignore calls to sack the INEC boss made by several Islamic organisations in the country. It is lack of sensitivity.
"As far as Nigerian Muslims are concerned, Joash Amupitan has become persona non grata to our own vision of the Nigerian electoral architecture."
Amupitan, 58, is a Nigerian professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who was confirmed as the chairman of INEC in October 2025. A former deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), he specialises in commercial and evidence law.
Legit.ng reports that thousands are killed annually in Nigeria, and the victims include large numbers of both Christians and Muslims. The violence involves battles over land, kidnappings for ransom, sectarian tensions and terrorism, but some government critics want US President Donald Trump to see the conflict through a single lens: the persecution of Christians.
Source: Twitter
On Christmas Day 2025, the US ordered airstrikes against Islamist militants in northern Nigeria.
Officials in Washington said the action was aimed at protecting Christians facing threats of violence.
Meanwhile, asked by a reporter about Trump's recent threats to Nigeria over the persecution of Christians, the African Union Commission Chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf dismissed the genocide allegations, telling reporters at the United Nations:
"Let me say this first — there is no genocide in northern Nigeria. We have issued a communication making clear that what’s going on in the northern part of Nigeria has nothing to do with the kind of atrocities we see in Sudan or in some parts of eastern DRC."
He continued, according to Reuters:
"The first victims of Boko Haram are Muslims, not Christians, and I’m saying this with documented references. The complexity of the situation in northern Nigeria should not be taken lightly, nor described with overly simple language. There is no genocide in northern Nigeria."
'No genocide in Nigeria' - Tinubu
Similarly, President Bola Tinubu has insisted that there is neither Christian genocide nor Muslim genocide in Nigeria, The Punch reported.
The president said that what the country had was terrorism, driven by criminality and extremism, adding that the federal government was working tirelessly to overcome the security challenges.
Read more on MURIC:
- MURIC urges DSS to release abducted minor from custody
- MURIC takes another action to get INEC chairman sacked before 2027
El-Rufai: MURIC issues warning to ICPC
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that MURIC condemned the continued detention of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and demanded that he be released or arraigned.
MURIC's Prof. Akintola criticised El-Rufai's detention via a statement.
Source: Legit.ng
