The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has formally petitioned the National Assembly over its demand for the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan.
The group said its action followed months of calls by Islamic organisations for the electoral chief to step down over his role in writing a legal brief on alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, March 4, the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said the organisation had waited three months after raising concerns about Amupitan’s position without seeing any response from the presidency.
Akintola alleged that the government had shown little interest in addressing the complaints raised by Islamic groups, despite what he described as evidence that the INEC chairman made statements about Nigerian Muslims during a presentation before an American audience.
He also questioned the federal government’s sense of fairness, suggesting that authorities appeared quicker to respond to what he called “frivolous demands” while ignoring complaints presented by Islamic organisations.
According to MURIC, Amupitan’s continued leadership of the electoral commission could affect public confidence in the neutrality of the institution, particularly as preparations gradually begin for the 2027 general elections.
The organisation warned that the issue of alleged anti-Muslim bias could become a contentious matter in future electoral disputes if it is not addressed.
“Since the presidency appears uninterested in listening to the complaints of Muslims against Amupitan, we must take his case to the court of the people’s representatives, the National Assembly,” Akintola said.
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He maintained that the demand for Amupitan’s removal was not based on religion but on what the group described as a “fanatical and hateful” disposition towards Nigerian Muslims.
MURIC therefore urged members of both chambers of the National Assembly to examine the matter, noting that Muslim citizens and taxpayers deserve to have their concerns considered.
The organisation also restated its position that Amupitan should not oversee the country’s electoral process in the 2027 elections.
Professor Amupitan was among the contributors to a 2020 publication titled Nigeria’s Silent Slaughter: Genocide in Nigeria and the Implications for the International Community.
The report was released by the International Committee on Nigeria in collaboration with the International Organisation on Peace-building and Social Justice.
In the publication, Amupitan authored an 80-page chapter titled Legal Brief: Genocide in Nigeria.
The chapter argued that the pattern of killings and displacement affecting Christians in parts of Nigeria met the threshold for genocide under international law.
It also criticised the federal government for what it described as inadequate protection of affected communities and a failure to ensure justice for victims.