Angry Nigerians Confront Amupitan In London, Demand Resignation

Some aggrieved Nigerians in the diaspora blocked the vehicle conveying the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, from Chatham House, London, after a speaking engagement, on Thursday.

Nigerian electoral umpire had ‎featured in a panel discussion titled, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot”.

However, as he was about leaving the venue, a group of Nigerians in the diaspora prevented the vehicle from moving, demanding that he should alight and address them.

They accused INEC under Amupitan of compromising its independence and favouring the ruling All Progressives Congress.

“You can’t leave here! Come down to address us,” a voice was heard saying, while security operatives tried to calm the aggrieved protesters.

The protesters kept hurling insults at the INEC chairman who was calmly seated next to an unidentified fellow.

Meanwhile, during the panel discussion, Amupitan declared that the electoral body is constitutionally bound to abide by whatever final judgement the courts deliver regarding the eligibility of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to contest the 2027 presidential election.

He said this while responding to questions on whether Atiku would remain on the ballot if he fails to overturn a recent Federal High Court ruling that nullified the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC)—the faction under which the former vice-president emerged as presidential candidate.

“If he eventually fails, well, I’m obligated under Section 285 of the Constitution of Nigeria to obey every court order, especially if it is from the Supreme Court,” Amupitan stated, emphasizing that the commission has no choice but to enforce judicial pronouncements regardless of political fallout.

While affirming INEC’s commitment to the rule of law, the chairman voiced concern over the flood of pre-election litigation threatening the commission’s logistical preparations ahead of the January 2027 polls.

He revealed that INEC is currently contending with more than 300 pending court cases just weeks before election day.

“Some of those issues we have with court cases—over 300 cases hanging on the neck of INEC, and elections are just about 66 days away,” he lamented.

Amupitan noted that INEC had already begun procuring sensitive election materials, making late judicial reversals a major operational headache.

He explained that when the ADC leadership dispute first surfaced in April, the commission pushed for an accelerated hearing so the matter could be settled within three weeks, allowing INEC to finalize its logistics.

However, the case dragged on and is now headed to the Court of Appeal following the ADC’s decision to challenge the lower court’s ruling.

To prevent legal battles from derailing future polls, Amupitan advocated for electoral reforms that would require all pre-election disputes to be concluded at least six months to a year before voting day.

He also warned that enforcing last-minute court rulings unfairly exposes the electoral umpire to public backlash. (Daily trust)