The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, to resign immediately over allegations of partisanship, warning that the electoral body’s credibility could be damaged ahead of the 2027 general elections. The group said the controversy had created a crisis of confidence around the commission’s leadership and should be addressed through an independent investigation.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its Media Coordinator, James Ezema, the group said Nigeria could not afford to approach another major election with doubts hanging over the neutrality of the country’s electoral umpire. MCE said Amupitan should step aside to allow what it described as a transparent and impartial probe into the allegations against him. The group also asked the Federal Government to set up an investigative panel made up of judicial officers, digital forensic experts and civil society representatives.
Among those listed as part of the group are Dr Usman Bugaje, human rights lawyer Femi Falana, former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili, former labour leader Ayuba Wabba, economist Pat Utomi, Bilikisu Magoro and former diplomat Nkoyo Toyo. The statement argued that the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process was too important to be left under a cloud of suspicion, especially at what it called a critical stage in the country’s democratic evolution.
According to the group, recent developments — including alleged digital traces suggesting partisan sympathy toward the ruling All Progressives Congress — had raised serious ethical questions about Amupitan’s fitness to oversee the next election cycle. MCE said the INEC chairman’s reported denial of the allegations was not enough to settle the matter in an age when digital footprints can be independently examined. It warned against any move to intimidate critics or criminalise scrutiny, saying such actions would only deepen public distrust.
The group also voiced concern over what it described as a broader pattern of INEC decisions that appeared to disadvantage opposition participation, though it did not in the cited reports present detailed evidence for each of those claims. It said the controversy could even spill into regional legal forums if aggrieved actors seek redress outside Nigeria, with possible reputational consequences for the country.
