Amupitan: INEC Chairman Faces Resignation Call Over Partisanship Claims

ABUJA, Nigeria — Prominent civil society leaders under the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) have demanded the immediate resignation of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan over fresh allegations of partisanship.

The coalition, which includes Dr Usman Bugaje, Barrister Femi Falana (SAN), Dr Oby Ezekwesili, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, Professor Pat Utomi, Hadjia Dr Bilikisu Magoro and Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, insists the INEC boss no longer enjoys the public trust needed to manage the 2027 general elections.

NaijaChoice News reports that the group issued the demand in a statement signed by its Media Coordinator, Comrade James Ezema, on Sunday. They urged Amupitan to step aside to pave way for an independent panel of judicial officers, digital forensic experts and civil society members to probe the claims.

“The integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process is at stake,” the statement read. “At this critical juncture, the leadership of INEC must be beyond reproach.”

MCE pointed to alleged digital footprints linking the chairman to expressions sympathetic to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the source of the deepening crisis of confidence. Though Amupitan has denied the allegations, the group argued that such denials only strengthen the case for forensic scrutiny in the digital age.

“In this digital age, denial is not a defence — it is an invitation to forensic scrutiny,” the statement added. The coalition warned that traceability through BVN, NIN and device logs leaves no room for evasion.

The group condemned any move to frame public concerns as cybercrime or to harass critics with threats of arrest. Such actions, they said, amount to misuse of state power and further damage public faith in the electoral body.

MCE also expressed worry over what it called a pattern of INEC decisions that seem to weaken opposition voices, raising fears of a drift toward a one-party dominance. This, the group warned, threatens Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.

The coalition cautioned that unresolved issues could lead aggrieved parties to seek justice at the ECOWAS Court, exposing the country to reputational harm and possible sanctions.

“The only honourable course is for the INEC Chairman to step aside and allow a transparent investigation,” MCE declared. “Nigeria stands at a democratic crossroads.”