The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria is seeking the removal of the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan.
In a statement issued on Friday, November 7, 2025 (16th Jumada I, 1447 AH), the Council expressed “deep disappointment and grave concern” over reports that Amupitan authored a 2020 legal document titled “Legal Brief: Genocide in Nigeria The Implications for the International Community.”
The brief, published by the International Committee on Nigeria, was signed under Amupitan’s law firm, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan & Co., with offices in Jos and Abuja. In the publication, Amupitan allegedly referred to violence in parts of Northern Nigeria as “Christian genocide” and called for international intervention.
The SCSN condemned the document, describing its contents as “provocative, distorted, and bigoted assertions” against Muslims in Northern Nigeria.
“If indeed Prof. Amupitan authored the said document, his submissions are not only unbecoming of a person of learning but dangerously inimical to the unity, peace, and stability of our country,” the Council said.
The Council maintained that Amupitan’s statements were “divisive, sectarian, and factually inaccurate,” stressing that insecurity in the North affects both Muslims and Christians alike.
“When examined objectively, the violence in Northern Nigeria is multi-dimensional. Both Muslims and Christians have suffered immensely from extremist attacks, banditry, and communal conflicts rooted in neglect, poverty, and injustice,” it added.
The Council cited humanitarian reports indicating that Muslims have been the most affected victims of insecurity in many northern states.
“Credible data indicate that over 90% of victims in conflict zones such as Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, and Yobe are Muslims,” the SCSN noted.
The group also faulted Amupitan’s alleged attempt to link modern-day insecurity to the 19th-century Jihad of Sheikh Uthman bn Fodio, describing it as “a malicious distortion of history and a deliberate insult.”
“The Jihad of Sheikh Uthman was not a war of extermination, but a reform movement built on justice and knowledge ideals still respected across Africa today,” the Council maintained.
According to the SCSN, Amupitan’s alleged record “raises serious concerns about his neutrality and capacity to oversee free and fair elections in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation.”
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“By his own words, Prof. Amupitan has demonstrated prejudice that calls into question his ability to conduct credible elections. The integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system cannot rest on a figure with such a divisive record,” the statement added.
The Council therefore urged President Bola Tinubu to “immediately review and reverse” Amupitan’s appointment to safeguard the credibility of the electoral process and maintain public confidence in INEC.
It also appealed to Nigerians across faiths to remain calm, united, and focused on shared national challenges.
“We urge all Nigerians, Muslims and Christians alike, to reject divisive narratives. Our true enemies are injustice, corruption, poverty, and insecurity,” the SCSN concluded.
The Council reaffirmed its commitment to peace, unity, and fairness, emphasising that leadership positions in national institutions like INEC must reflect integrity, inclusiveness, and balance.
