The SCSN insisted that Amupitan’s continued stay in office undermines the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process.
The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has vowed that Muslims across the country will not recognise or legitimise any election conducted under the leadership of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan.
The SCSN insisted that Amupitan’s continued stay in office undermines the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process.
The Council renewed its call for Amupitan’s immediate removal, describing his leadership as a threat to electoral integrity and national cohesion, according to The Guardian.
President of the Council, Sheikh Bashir Umar, made the declaration on Wednesday during the Council’s 2026 Annual Pre-Ramadan Lecture and General Assembly held in Abuja.
Speaking on the theme “Nigeria’s Future: Faith, Justice, and Leadership,” Umar said the Council’s position was based on what it described as the INEC chairman’s questionable antecedents, particularly a legal brief he allegedly authored alleging the existence of a Christian genocide in Nigeria.
According to Umar, the Nigerian government has repeatedly dismissed such claims, noting that they directly contradict Nigeria’s official position.
“This is not the first time the Council is taking this position. In the legal brief he personally sent, he sought to establish the existence of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, a position that is in direct conflict with the stance of the Federal Government, which has categorically stated that no such genocide exists,” he said.
Umar added that the stance attributed to the INEC chairman amounted to divisive propaganda and raised serious concerns about his neutrality as head of the nation’s electoral umpire.
“For an umpire in a democratic process, integrity and impartiality are non-negotiable. As far as we are concerned, his integrity has been compromised. The honourable thing for him to do is to resign. If he does not, the government should dismiss or retire him,” the cleric stated.
He clarified that while the Council is an advocacy body and not directly involved in litigation, it is aware that other groups have approached courts of competent jurisdiction to challenge Amupitan’s appointment and continued stay in office.
“The Council must remain resolute in this demand. The Ummah will not recognise or legitimise any election presided over by a character with questionable integrity, as democratic credibility must never be compromised,” Umar added.
The Council also used the forum to raise concerns over worsening insecurity, economic hardship, poor budget implementation, alleged imbalance in federal appointments, and what it described as attempts to undermine Muslims’ constitutional right to practise Shari’ah in Muslim-majority states.
It further rejected narratives of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, warning that such claims fuel division and pose a serious threat to national unity.
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Ecological Funds and member representing Kaura-Namoda/Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency of Zamfara State, Aminu Sani Jaji, said the timing of the Pre-Ramadan lecture was significant given Nigeria’s current security and socio-political challenges.
Jaji described Ramadan as a period of deep spiritual reflection for Muslims and stressed the need for guidance from religious scholars amid growing insecurity and heightened religious and political tensions.
He cautioned that unverified claims and divisive narratives, including allegations of religious persecution, could further undermine national cohesion if not responsibly addressed.
Referring to Nigeria’s designation by the United States as a country of particular concern, Jaji described claims of a “Christian genocide” as misleading, stressing that Nigeria remains a secular state.
In his remarks, the Madakin Zazzau, Malam Muhammadu Munir Ja’afaru, said the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria has, since its establishment, remained a credible and courageous voice of the Nigerian Muslim Ummah.
He noted that the Council has consistently engaged on issues beyond religion, promoting unity, justice, peaceful coexistence, and national development through principled dialogue and constructive engagement with government and society.