The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) on Wednesday said Nigerian Muslims will not accept any election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under the leadership of its chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan.
The council stated this at its annual pre-Ramadan lecture and general assembly in Abuja, just as it demanded for Amupitan’s removal.
It said it has no confidence in his integrity to be fair to all faiths in Nigeria due to Amupitan’s brief that Christians in Nigeria are victims of genocide—a claim repeatedly dismissed by the Federal Government.
The president of the council, Sheikh Bashir Aliyu Umar, said “we demand the immediate removal and prosecution of the INEC chairman and declare that no election conducted under a cloud of compromised integrity can be recognised as credible,” adding that the council’s demand was based on credible exposés on Amupitan’s conduct, particularly allegations of divisive propaganda and treasonous undertones.
The Council said “democratic credibility must never be compromised. Someone with compromised integrity should resign, or the government should dismiss or compulsorily retire him,” adding that some groups were already in court challenging Amupitan’s appointment.
“We are an advocacy group and will support any legal effort questioning the veracity of his appointment,” he said.
While denouncing the narrative of a “Christian genocide,” warning that dishonest public discourse fuels division and instability, Umar opposed foreign interference, establishment of foreign military bases, unjust tax reforms, and any alteration of approved bills by the executive without legislative oversight.
He appealed to the National Assembly to conduct public hearings and undertake forensic reviews of all laws passed since the 10th Assembly began, just as he condemned all forms of terrorism and called for the protection of every Nigerian through security measures and peaceful reconciliation.
It would be recalled that the Shari’ah council, through its Secretary-General, Nafiu Baba-Ahmad, had previously told President Tinubu to review Prof. Amupitan’s appointment as INEC chairman, saying a document authored by Amupitan, has a “toxic legal brief containing highly provocative, distorted, and bigoted assertions” about conflicts in Northern Nigeria.
Also, MURIC Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, condemned the brief, calling it “shocking” and questioning Amupitan’s ability to oversee elections impartially.
Amupitan had previously described the Boko Haram insurgency and attacks by “Fulani herdsmen” as part of a coordinated anti-Christian campaign requiring international intervention.
The INEC Chairman was among those who contributed to the 2020 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 & Social Justice (PSJ).
The report documented alleged systematic killings of Christians in Nigeria and called for global action. Amupitan authored an 80-page chapter titled Legal Brief: Genocide in Nigeria, which argued that the scale and pattern of killings and displacement of Christians met the threshold for genocide under international law. The brief also accused the federal government of failing to protect affected communities and ensure justice for victims.
