 has expressed deep concern over reports alleging that Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National){kind=link}
Calls on President Tinubu to Review Amupitan’s Appointment for Electoral Credibility
The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has expressed deep concern over reports alleging that Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), once authored a controversial legal paper laced with what the Council described as “provocative, distorted, and bigoted” views about conflicts in Northern Nigeria and the legacy of Sheikh Uthman bn Fodio’s jihad.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its Secretary General on Thursday, the Council said the revelations — first reported by Sahara Reporters — cast serious doubt on Prof. Amupitan’s neutrality and moral fitness to preside over Nigeria’s electoral system.
According to the SCSN, the alleged document written in 2020 contained “toxic and sectarian assertions” that portrayed the violence in Northern Nigeria as an extension of the 19th-century jihad led by Sheikh Uthman bn Fodio, while framing it as part of what Amupitan reportedly called a “Christian genocide.”
“It is unfortunate and disturbing that an individual now entrusted with overseeing Nigeria’s democratic integrity could have espoused such bigotry,” the statement read. “If indeed Prof. Amupitan authored the said document, his submissions are unbecoming of a person of learning and dangerously inimical to the unity, peace, and stability of our country.”
The Council firmly rejected what it called “falsehood and mischief” in the alleged analysis, stressing that the insecurity ravaging Northern Nigeria cannot be reduced to a religious narrative. It noted that both Muslims and Christians have been victims of the violence, but “credible humanitarian data clearly show that Muslims have suffered more casualties,” particularly in states such as Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, and Yobe.
The SCSN described the attempt to link modern insecurity to Sheikh Uthman bn Fodio’s jihad as a “malicious distortion of history,” insisting that the revered reformer’s movement was founded on “spiritual, moral, and social reform — not hatred or extermination.”
“The jihad of Sheikh Uthman was a quest for justice and ethical governance, whose noble legacy is still admired across Africa,” the Council said.
Raising concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system, the SCSN said Prof. Amupitan’s alleged anti-Muslim stance “calls into serious question his capacity to conduct free and fair elections in a multi-religious, multi-ethnic nation.”
The Council also questioned how an individual with such “open bias” could have passed security and background checks before his appointment, describing it as either “a grave lapse in due diligence” or “a reckless approval that undermines public confidence.”
Consequently, the SCSN urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to “critically review the appointment of Prof. Amupitan as INEC Chairman” to safeguard the credibility of future elections.
The statement concluded with a call for national unity and restraint:
“We urge all Nigerians, Muslims and Christians alike, to reject narratives that seek to pit one faith against another. Our common enemies are injustice, corruption, poverty, and insecurity. The Council remains committed to peace, unity, and the pursuit of truth based on fairness and mutual respect.”
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