Resignation of INEC Chairman: It Has Nothing to Do with His Legal Opinion, but Everything to Do with Him Not Being a Northern Muslim –CSMN
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“It is clear that the Shari’ah Council’s objection to Prof. Amupitan’s appointment has nothing to do with his legal opinion but everything to do with his not being a northern Muslim, especially his being a Christian.”
Above were the words of the Christian Social Movement of Nigeria (CSMN), a Christian advocacy group reacting to a recent call by the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) for the removal of Professor Joash Amupitan as Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission.
Recalled that a recent statement credited to the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN), to the effect that the current INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, should resign his position, describing him as a “threat to the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process.”
The SCSN in its statement also threatened that “Muslims would neither recognise nor legitimize any election conducted under Amupitan’s leadership,” citing what it described as “serious integrity and neutrality concerns.”
But CSMN, in its reaction, said it was clear that the Shari’ah Council’s opposition to Prof. Amupitan’s appointment has nothing to do with his legal opinion but everything to do with his not being a northern Muslim, especially his being a Christian.
In a statement signed by Elder Sunday Oibe, Chairman of CSMN Governing Council, and Bosun Emmanuel, Chief Executive Officer, said, “The matter for which Prof. Amupitan is being labelled a threat to democracy is rather trivial. That citizen gave a legal opinion in his capacity as a legal practitioner, on a report that documented genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
“That opinion was no different from the campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which went to the United States in 2014, interestingly during the presidency of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to raise global alarm about Christians being “slaughtered” in Nigeria, which the same APC government is now denying for political expediency. Maybe the APC should also resign entirely from governance for being guilty of the very act that a citizen is being sternly vilified.
“It is to be assumed that the Shari’ah Council is fully aware that Section 38(1) of the tolerated 1999 Constitution guarantees freedom of religious conviction to every citizen. Sadly, some Muslims, particularly some from Northern Nigeria, are of the divisive opinion that no Nigerian has the right to practice any religion except their brand. In a multicultural, multiethnic, and multi-religious society, such intolerance unfortunately fuels destruction, as the country is currently witnessing,” CSMN stated.
To buttress its position, the CSMN emphasised that it assumed that the Shari’ah Council was fully aware that “Section 38(1) of the tolerated 1999 Constitution guarantees freedom of religious conviction to every citizen.”
“Sadly, some Muslims, particularly some from Northern Nigeria, are of the divisive opinion that no Nigerian has a right to practice any religion except their brand. In a multicultural, multiethnic, and multi-religious society, such intolerance unfortunately fuels destruction, as the country is currently witnessing.”
While citing instances where officials of Islamic organizations were appointed to head national institutions, Christians and other non-Christians did not complain or threaten the country.
“For example, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, a professor of Islamic studies, is appointed to head the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which regulates not only Federal Government universities but Christian-majority-state universities, and even Church-owned universities. Prof. Oloyede is an official of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and a representative of NSCIA in the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC).
“In those capacities, he has made strong statements on behalf of Islam. The chief executive of JAMB also addressed a religious press conference of NSCIA in 2025, denying genocide against Christians in Nigeria. As an official of the Federal Government, in a multi-religious country, should he have been speaking at or taken a side on a contested religious issue in such a sectarian press conference? Christians did not call for his dismissal from JAMB on account of that performance.
“Also, Isa Ibrahim Pantami, whom President Buhari appointed as Minister for Communications, was alleged to have incited religious violence at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, while serving as Islamic lecturer and Chief Imam. He served his term as minister. With all of these, Nigerians can only conclude that the call by the Shari’ah Council for the dismissal of Prof. Amupitan is blatant religious bigotry,” CSMN said.
CSMN explained that while it was not holding brief for the Tinubu administration nor playing partisan politics, it is merely insisting that religious groups should not constitute themselves into promoters of injustice and inequality.
CSMN recalled that in the past few years, religion has been used to devastate and degrade Nigeria; hence, “reasonable efforts should rather be towards de-escalating the tensions already created in the name of religion, not fanning the same terrible embers.”
According to the group, the President of the country, with the National Assembly, has powers to appoint a Chairman for INEC.
“In the recent past, President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, appointed Prof. Attahiru Jega, a Muslim, as the Chairman of INEC. Then, the honourable Shari’ah Council did not threaten to boycott elections.
“President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim, appointed Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, another Muslim, as INEC Chairman. Again, the Shari’ah Council did not threaten to boycott elections. Now, President Tinubu duly appoints Prof. Joash Amupitan as INEC Chairman, and SCSN has suddenly found a voice, threatening to lead a Muslim boycott of elections.
“Would the Shari’ah Council have issued their present threat if it had been another Muslim from the North appointed as INEC Chairman? Peace-loving Nigerians know the answer.”
On the claim by the coalition of Islamic organisations under the Zamfara State Muslims League, that Sharia “has constitutional backing as part of Nigeria’s plural legal system, which also recognizes common law and customary law,” CSMN demanded a clarification on the position of the law.
While cautioning the SCSN against attempts to deepen the religious imbalance when the country should be seeking healing and fairness, it warned that such attempts “will only drag it deeper into mutual suspicion and sectarian violence.”
Instead of emphasizing what divides Nigeria, CSMN advised all citizens to “jointly demand the decommissioning of the 1999 Constitution and the introduction of a new constitution for Nigeria, or at least, a reversal to the 1963 Republican Constitution. A new constitution will benefit all Nigerians irrespective of religion or ethnic affiliation.
“Northern Nigeria might wish to take a cue from the South-West region of Nigeria, enjoying relative peace despite its religious plurality.
“We encourage the SCSN to join in the demand for a new constitution for the promotion of justice in the country, rather than demand the resignation of a government official in a tone that smacks unpleasantly of religious intolerance.”
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