Shari’ah Council clarifies call for removal, prosecution of INEC Chairman

By Aliyu Inuwa Mansir On Feb 3, 2026

INEC, Ramadan, elections timetable, National Assembly, — INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan

The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has clarified its call for the removal and prosecution of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, saying its position is not based on religious considerations but on concerns over national unity, institutional integrity, and constitutional responsibility.

In a press statement issued on Monday and signed by its Secretary-General, Malam Nafi’u Baba-Ahmad, the council said its position followed resolutions reached during its Annual Pre-Ramadan Conference and General Assembly held on January 28, 2026, in Kaduna.

The council explained that its earlier resolution had generated widespread public reactions and had been “misconstrued and taken out of context” by some individuals, prompting the need for clarification.

According to the statement, the call for the INEC chairman’s removal was informed by what it described as “grave concerns” over the antecedents and public positions attributed to Prof. Amupitan, which it alleged could undermine the neutrality expected of the head of Nigeria’s electoral body.

The council maintained that religion has never been a determining factor in the acceptance or rejection of electoral leadership in Nigeria, noting that most individuals who have headed the country’s electoral bodies since independence have been Christians.

It stated that out of 13 chairmen who have led Nigeria’s electoral institutions, only two were Muslims, stressing that Nigerian Muslims had never opposed any electoral chairman on religious grounds.

SCSN, however, expressed concern over a legal brief reportedly authored by Prof. Amupitan in 2020, which it claimed contained prejudicial assertions against Nigerian Muslims, the historical Caliphate, and Northern Nigeria.

SolaceBase reports that the council particularly faulted alleged claims of “Christian genocide” and attempts to link present-day insecurity in Northern Nigeria to the 19th-century jihad led by Sheikh Uthman dan Fodio, describing such assertions as historically inaccurate and potentially destabilising.

It further alleged that the reported presentation of such claims to foreign actors portrayed Nigeria negatively and could invite external pressure based on what it described as false narratives.

The council rejected claims of religious genocide, insisting that violence in Northern Nigeria is multi-dimensional, driven by terrorism, banditry, criminality, poverty, governance challenges, and social injustice. It added that both Muslims and Christians have suffered from the insecurity, though it claimed available data showed that Muslims constitute the majority of victims in several affected states.

SCSN stressed that leadership of Nigeria’s electoral system requires the highest level of impartiality, credibility, and public trust, arguing that any individual accused of bias or spreading misinformation should not oversee elections.

The council also expressed concern that Prof. Amupitan had neither denied authorship of the alleged document nor issued any apology or retraction, adding that the Federal Government had reportedly been compelled to counter the claims at diplomatic and financial cost.

According to the statement, the council believes that such developments have caused reputational damage to Nigeria and warrant constitutional and legal action where necessary.

SCSN reiterated that it does not oppose Christians occupying public offices, emphasising its support for competent and fair leadership regardless of religious affiliation.

The council also called on the Nigerian Christian community to avoid being influenced by what it described as divisive narratives, while reaffirming the commitment of the Muslim community to peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and the protection of the rights of all Nigerians.