The call for the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has triggered a sharp disagreement between major religious bodies, with the Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory rejecting the demand and warning against what it described as the politicisation of religion.
Northern CAN faulted the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria for calling for Amupitan’s removal and prosecution, describing the demand as dangerous, unjustified and capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral body.
The association insisted that competence, integrity and performance, not religious affiliation, should be the basis for assessing holders of public office.
The Shari’ah council had accused the INEC chairman of compromised integrity over a legal brief in which he reportedly acknowledged claims of persecution and genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
The council claimed that Amupitan’s continued stay in office posed a serious threat to the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process and warned that Muslims would not recognise or legitimise any election conducted under his leadership.
The President of the council, Sheikh Bashir Umar, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja during the SCSN 2026 Annual Pre Ramadan Lecture and General Assembly.
The position of the Shari’ah council was later backed by the Muslim Rights Concern. In a statement issued by its Kano State Chairman, Mallam Hassan Indabawa, MURIC said it fully aligned with the council’s demand for Amupitan’s removal.
“The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria warned that Muslims nationwide will not recognise or accept the legitimacy of any elections conducted under the leadership of Professor Joash Amupitan, the INEC chairman.
The Muslim Rights Concern hereby aligns itself with the SCSN. It is a noble, consistent, justifiable and objective position,” the statement read.
Indabawa recalled that MURIC had called for Amupitan’s removal in November 2025, citing what it described as hate filled views expressed in a 2020 legal brief.
The group also referenced concerns earlier raised by other organisations, including the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, alleging a potential conflict of interest because Amupitan was part of the legal team for the ruling party during the 2023 presidential election petition.
According to MURIC, an 80 page document authored by Amupitan and titled “Legal Brief: Genocide in Nigeria:
The Implications for the International Community” argued that attacks by Boko Haram insurgents and armed herders amounted to a coordinated anti Christian campaign.
The group said the position contradicted the Federal Government’s consistent rejection of genocide allegations against Christians.
MURIC warned that retaining Amupitan as INEC chairman could erode confidence in the 2027 general elections, alleging partisanship and bias against Muslims.
“Our position is that the demand for Amupitan’s immediate removal, resignation or prosecution is to safeguard the credibility of the 2027 general elections. Allowing him to superintend Nigeria’s electoral processes will erode credibility and legitimacy, as his integrity is already compromised,” the group stated.
However, Northern CAN strongly disagreed with the calls. In a statement issued in Kaduna and jointly signed by its Chairman, Rev. Joseph Hayab, and Secretary General, Bishop Mohammed Naga, the association questioned the motive behind the sustained campaign against the INEC chairman.
Hayab said Amupitan, like every Nigerian, had a constitutional right to freedom of religion, stressing that expressing concern over challenges faced by one’s faith did not amount to bias or disqualification from public office.
“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,” the statement said.
Northern CAN noted that several Muslims had served in sensitive government positions despite controversial religious antecedents without facing similar scrutiny. It urged Nigerians to prioritise competence over sectarian sentiment.
The association also warned that the controversy reinforced long standing concerns about religious discrimination against Christians, particularly in appointments to sensitive national offices. It recalled that the two immediate past INEC chairmen were Muslims from northern Nigeria and cautioned against narratives suggesting that only adherents of a particular religion were qualified to lead the electoral body.
“Are they saying 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,” Hayab said.
Northern CAN commended Tinubu for appointing a Christian as INEC chairman despite being a Muslim, describing the decision as inclusive and statesmanlike. It likened the move to that of former President Goodluck Jonathan, who retained a northern Muslim as INEC chairman despite pressure.
The association urged the Shari’ah council to identify any individual or group behind the campaign and warned against using religious platforms as cover to intimidate public officials. It also advised the INEC chairman to remain focused on his constitutional responsibility of conducting free, fair and credible elections.
Northern CAN further expressed concern over what it described as emerging signs of a coordinated political agenda ahead of the 2027 elections. It cited recent comments by the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, on the implications of a non Muslim Muslim ticket for the APC, saying such comments, combined with attacks on a Christian INEC chairman, raised questions about attempts to undermine Christian participation in the political process.
Similarly, the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Christian Media Forum condemned the call for Amupitan’s removal. In a joint statement signed by Jacob Dickson and Andrew Mshelia, the groups described the demand as baseless, divisive and dangerous to national unity.
They warned that such calls could erode public confidence in democratic institutions and inflame religious tensions, stressing that democracy thrives when public officials are judged by competence, integrity and performance rather than religious affiliation.
The Youth Wing of CAN in the northern states and Abuja, YOWICAN, also described the call as unwarranted and politically motivated. Its chairman, Evangelist Dedan Clifford, said the Shari’ah council, not being a political party, had no constitutional basis to demand the removal of the INEC chairman.
“For more than 15 years, INEC chairmen have been Muslims without objections from Christians. What they are simply suggesting now is that a Christian cannot hold that position. The office is based on merit, and Prof. Amupitan deserves it,” Clifford said.
He warned that Christian youths would resist any attempt to undermine fairness in the country’s democratic process and urged the INEC chairman to remain calm and focused on his constitutional duties.
