•Utomi and Amupitan
A group of prominent political actors and civil society leaders in Nigeria, the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE), has said that based on recent developments, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan, has lost the credibility to conduct a fair and free election in 2027.
The group of eminent personalities led by Prof Pat Utomi said this in a statement yesterday signed by its media coordinator, Comrade James Ezema, and made available to The Frontier.
This intervention, said MCE, is anchored on the immutable doctrine of equity which holds that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.
According to the group, “Crisis of Credibility and the Burden of Proof of Recent developments on the emergence of digital footprints linking the INEC Chairman to partisan expressions sympathetic to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), have triggered a legitimacy crisis of fundamental proportions.
“While Professor Amupitan has issued categorical denials, such denials — within the context of modern digital forensics — do not extinguish suspicion; rather, they activate a higher threshold for verification.
“In this digital age, denial is not a defence — it is an invitation to forensic scrutiny. The public domain is already saturated with analytical trails allegedly connecting the disputed account to identifiable personal and financial markers. These include potential linkages to verified communication channels and regulated financial platforms subject to stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance.
Calling on the INEC boss to step aside, MCE stated: “Professor Amupitan must recognise that this is no longer a personal matter of denial — it is a national question of trust. The only honourable path, consistent with both legal prudence and moral responsibility, is to step aside and submit to the cleansing light of transparent investigation.”
READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
PRESS STATEMENT
Sunday, 19th April, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2027 ELECTIONS: MCE, LEADERS OF CIVIL SOCIETY DEMAND AMUPITAN, INEC CHAIRMAN TO STEP ASIDE OVER PARTISANSHIP
… AMUPITAN HAS LOST CREDIBILITY TO CONDUCT 2027 ELECTIONS
The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) is compelled, in the overriding public interest, particularly in defense of Nigeria’s electoral integrity, to issue this statement as touching the deepening crisis of confidence surrounding the office of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presently occupied by Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This intervention is anchored on the immutable doctrine of equity which holds that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. At this crucial period in Nigeria’s democratic evolution, it is evident that the hands presiding over INEC are, at best, under grave distrust and, at worst, compromised to elicit the credibility required for the conduct of the 2027 elections.
I. A Crisis of Credibility and the Burden of Proof of Recent developments on the emergence of digital footprints linking the INEC Chairman to partisan expressions sympathetic to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), have triggered a legitimacy crisis of fundamental proportions. While Professor Amupitan has issued categorical denials, such denials — within the context of modern digital forensics — do not extinguish suspicion; rather, they activate a higher threshold for verification.
In this digital age, denial is not a defence—it is an invitation to forensic scrutiny. The public domain is already saturated with analytical trails allegedly connecting the disputed account to identifiable personal and financial markers. These include potential linkages to verified communication channels and regulated financial platforms subject to stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance.
II. Forensic Trap and Legal Crisis:
The MCE notes with concern that the current posture of the INEC Chairman risks escalating a reputational crisis into a full-blown legal distractions for the 2027 elections
1. Banking and identity verification systems, particularly those governed by BVN and NIN protocols, provide traceable ownership structures that are legally discoverable under subpoena.
2. Digital platform operators maintain device-level access logs, including IMEI-linked login histories, which are admissible in judicial proceedings.
3. Any escalation of this matter into sworn testimony raises the spectre of legal crisis bordering on perjury, with severe professional and constitutional consequences.
4. The attempt to reframe legitimate public inquiry as cybercrime—accompanied by threats of arrest—constitutes a dangerous misuse of state apparatus by giving false information to law enforcement authorities under Nigerian law.
III. INEC’s Institutional Conduct and the Pattern of Bias:
Beyond the immediate controversy, the MCE is alarmed by a growing pattern of actions and decisions by INEC that have been widely interpreted as detrimental to opposition political participation in Nigeria. These include administrative inconsistencies, selective enforcement of electoral regulations, and operational conduct that cumulatively erode the level playing field required in a multi party democracy.
The aggregation of these concerns lends credence to a disturbing hypothesis: that Nigeria is being subtly but systematically steered toward a de facto one-party and one man rule in violation of both the letter and spirit of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
IV. International Implications and the Risk of State Liability:
The MCE further warns that this matter transcends domestic jurisdiction. Should aggrieved parties seek redress before regional judicial bodies, including the ECOWAS Court, the Nigerian State may face international embarrassment, adverse rulings, and financial liabilities as global governance and legal monitoring institutions are increasingly intolerant of electoral manipulation and the suppression of digital freedoms. The current trajectory threatens not only the personal legacy of the INEC Chairman but also Nigeria’s standing in the international democratic community.
V. Moral Indictment and Question of Fitness for Office:
The exhumed digital expressions of AMUPITAN—widely interpreted as supportive of the APC during the last electoral cycle—raise fundamental ethical questions. If validated, they constitute prima facie evidence of pre-existing partisan alignment inconsistent with the neutrality required of an electoral umpire, which inevitably leads to a troubling conclusion: that the appointment of Professor Amupitan may have been influenced by partisan considerations, thereby undermining the moral foundation of his office and the 2027 elections
VI. Demand for Immediate Action
In light of the foregoing, the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) hereby demands as follows:
1. That Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan immediately step aside from his position as Chairman of INEC to allow for a truly independent, transparent, and forensic investigation into the allegations.
2. That the Federal Government constitute an impartial panel comprising judicial, digital forensic, and civil society experts to ascertain the truth.
3. That all forms of intimidation, harassment, or threats against citizens raising legitimate concerns be halted forthwith.
4. That INEC recommit itself to institutional neutrality through verifiable reforms that restore public confidence.
VII. Conclusion: A Defining Moment for Nigeria’s Democracy
Nigeria stands at a democratic crossroads. The integrity of its electoral management body cannot be compromised without grave consequences for credible elections, national stability and legitimacy of governance.
Professor Amupitan must recognise that this is no longer a personal matter of denial — it is a national question of trust. The only honourable path, consistent with both legal prudence and moral responsibility, is to step aside and submit to the cleansing light of transparent investigation.
History will not be kind to those who, when confronted with questions of integrity, chose concealment over accountability.
Signed:
Comrade James Ezema,
Media Coordinator,
Movement for Credible Elections (MCE)
Abuja, Nigeria
