A civil society organisation, the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE), has called for the immediate resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Ojo Amupitan, over allegations of partisanship and loss of public trust ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, the group said Amupitan no longer possesses the credibility required to oversee a free and fair electoral process, citing what it described as “a deepening crisis of confidence” surrounding his office. “The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) is compelled, in the overriding public interest… to issue this statement as touching the deepening crisis of confidence surrounding the office of the Chairman of INEC,” the group stated.
According to the MCE, recent “digital footprints” allegedly linking Amupitan to partisan expressions sympathetic to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have triggered a legitimacy crisis. “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,” the statement read.
The group stressed that in today’s technologically advanced environment, mere denial is insufficient. “In this digital age, denial is not a defence—it is an invitation to forensic scrutiny,” MCE said, adding that “the public domain is already saturated with analytical trails allegedly connecting the disputed account to identifiable personal and financial markers.”
MCE warned that the controversy could spiral into a constitutional and judicial crisis if not urgently addressed. “Banking and identity verification systems, particularly those governed by BVN and NIN protocols, provide traceable ownership structures that are legally discoverable under subpoena,” it said.
It added that “digital platform operators maintain device-level access logs, including IMEI-linked login histories, which are admissible in judicial proceedings,” warning that any escalation into sworn testimony could raise “the spectre of legal crisis bordering on perjury.”
The group also accused INEC under Amupitan of exhibiting a pattern of bias against opposition parties. “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,” the statement added. It cited “administrative inconsistencies, selective enforcement of electoral regulations, and operational conduct” as factors eroding the level playing field in Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.
MCE warned that the situation could damage Nigeria’s international reputation, noting that aggrieved parties may approach regional courts such as the ECOWAS Court of Justice. “Should aggrieved parties seek redress… the Nigerian State may face international embarrassment, adverse rulings, and financial liabilities,” it cautioned.
Questioning the moral fitness of the INEC chairman, the group said alleged past digital expressions supportive of the APC, if proven, would amount to “prima facie evidence of pre-existing partisan alignment.” “That inevitably leads to a troubling conclusion: that the appointment of Professor Amupitan may have been influenced by partisan considerations,” it added.
The group issued a series of demands, including that Amupitan “immediately step aside… to allow for a truly independent, transparent, and forensic investigation into the allegations.” It also called on the federal government to set up “an impartial panel comprising judicial, digital forensic, and civil society experts” and urged authorities to halt “all forms of intimidation, harassment, or threats against citizens raising legitimate concerns.”
“Professor Amupitan must recognize that this is no longer a personal matter of denial—it is a national question of trust,” the statement concluded. “The only honourable path… is to step aside and submit to the cleansing light of transparent investigation.”
The controversy follows reports that artificial intelligence tool Grok linked an X (formerly Twitter) account to Prof. Amupitan. The account, created under the username “joashamupitan,” allegedly contained posts supportive of the APC and its 2023 presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
The AI-generated link raised questions about his neutrality as head of INEC. Social media users shared old posts allegedly from the account, some predating his appointment, which critics interpreted as evidence of partisan leanings.
INEC has denied the claims, stating that Amupitan does not operate any personal X account. His spokesperson described the allegations as false and fabricated, part of a campaign to discredit the Commission.
Meanwhile, INEC’s Director of ICT, Lawrence Bayode, said on Channels TV’s Morning Brief last Monday that the commission was engaging forensic experts to investigate the resurfacing of controversial tweets allegedly linked to an account associated with its Chairman. “We are taking this further because… we have referred this to security agencies… I will not base my judgment on screenshots. I will not allow that to guide my conclusion,” Bayode stated.
