The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has explained its call for the removal and prosecution of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, saying the demand is based on concerns about integrity and neutrality, not religion.
The Council had last week asked for Mr Amupitan’s dismissal and prosecution, alleging that his integrity was compromised after he reportedly confirmed claims of persecution and genocide against Christians in Nigeria in a legal brief.
The call triggered reactions across the country, with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory criticising the demand and warning against the use of religion for political purposes.
In a statement dated February 2, SCSN said the resolution was taken during its Annual Pre-Ramadan Conference and General Assembly held on January 28, but was later misconstrued.
The Council said its position was based on issues of national unity, constitutional responsibility and the neutrality required of the INEC chairman.
“The Council states unequivocally that its position is not motivated by religion or sectarian considerations, but by grave concerns relating to national cohesion, institutional integrity and constitutionalism,” the statement said.
SCSN noted that since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, most heads of electoral bodies have been Christians, adding that Muslims never opposed their appointments on religious grounds.
“From Eyo Esua in 1964 to date, the overwhelming majority of those who have headed Nigeria’s electoral institutions have been Christians. Of the thirteen chairmen who have led the Commission, only two, Prof. Attahiru Jega and Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, are Muslims. At no point have Muslims mobilised opposition against any chairman on religious grounds,” the Council said.
According to SCSN, what distinguishes Amupitan’s case is a legal brief he reportedly authored in 2020, which it said contained claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria and linked insecurity in the North to the 19th-century jihad of Sheikh Uthman bin Fodio.
“These claims are historically inaccurate and destabilising in a multi-religious country like Nigeria,” the statement said.
The Council said it was also concerned that such claims were allegedly presented to foreign bodies, portraying Nigeria as a country facing religious extermination.
“Such conduct constitutes a serious breach of patriotic responsibility and is incompatible with the neutrality expected of the Chairman of INEC,” it added.
SCSN rejected the claim of a Christian genocide, saying violence in Northern Nigeria affects both Muslims and Christians.
“Available data show that Muslims constitute the majority of victims in states like Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto. Advancing a one-sided persecution narrative is dishonest,” it said.
The Council added that Amupitan has not denied authoring the document nor issued an apology or retraction, while the Federal Government has reportedly had to counter the claims internationally.
“Nigeria has suffered embarrassment, financial cost and reputational damage,” it said, adding that reports of payments to foreign lobbyists to counter the claims further justify its call for removal and prosecution.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, the President of SCSN and Imam of Al-Furqan Mosque in Kano, Bashir Umar, said the issue was about integrity.
“It is not about religious affiliation. It is about integrity and the ability to rise above issues that compromise judgment,” he said, adding that the Council is an advocacy group and not a political party.
He said the Council hopes the President will act on its call.
SCSN concluded by restating its support for fair leadership regardless of faith and urged Nigerians not to view the issue through a religious lens.
