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, stressing that the position is not driven by religious considerations but by 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 the decision followed resolutions reached during its Annual Pre-Ramadan Conference and General Assembly held on January 28, 2026, in Kaduna.
According to the council, its earlier resolution generated widespread public reactions and was misconstrued by some individuals, prompting the need for clarification.
The statement said the call for Prof. Amupitan’s removal was based on what the council described as grave concerns over his antecedents and certain public positions attributed to him, which it alleged could undermine the neutrality required of the head of Nigeria’s electoral body.
The council emphasised that religion has never been a factor in the acceptance or rejection of electoral leadership in Nigeria, noting that most individuals who have headed the country’s electoral institutions since independence have been Christians.
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It stated that out of 13 chairmen who have led Nigeria’s electoral bodies, only two were Muslims, adding that Nigerian Muslims have never opposed any electoral chairman on religious grounds.
However, SCSN expressed concern over a legal brief reportedly authored by Prof. Amupitan in 2020, which it alleged contained prejudicial assertions against Nigerian Muslims, the historical Caliphate, and Northern Nigeria.
The council particularly faulted 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 presentation of such claims to foreign actors portrayed Nigeria negatively and could expose the country to external pressure based on what it described as false narratives.
Rejecting claims of religious genocide, the council maintained that insecurity in Northern Nigeria is multi-dimensional, driven by terrorism, banditry, criminality, poverty, governance failures, and social injustice. It added that both Muslims and Christians have suffered from the violence, although available data, it claimed, showed 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 anyone accused of bias or misinformation should not preside over elections.
The council also expressed concern that Prof. Amupitan had neither denied authorship of the alleged document nor issued any apology or retraction, noting that the Federal Government had reportedly been compelled to counter the claims at diplomatic and financial cost.
According to the statement, the council believes such developments have caused reputational damage to Nigeria and may warrant constitutional and legal action where appropriate.
SCSN reiterated that it does not oppose Christians occupying public office and reaffirmed its support for competent, fair, and inclusive leadership irrespective of religious affiliation. It also urged the Nigerian Christian community to resist divisive narratives, while reaffirming the Muslim community’s commitment to peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and the protection of the rights of all Nigerians.