MURIC Petitions NASS, Demands Removal of INEC Chairman Over Alleged Anti-Muslim Bias

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chairman Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan

MURIC Petitions NASS, Demands Removal of INEC Chairman Over Alleged Anti-Muslim Bias

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has formally petitioned the National Assembly of Nigeria (NASS), calling for the removal of the INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, over allegations of anti-Muslim bias.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, and signed by its Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the Islamic human rights advocacy group accused the head of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of exhibiting what it described as “documented anti-Muslim prejudice.”

According to MURIC, Professor Amupitan allegedly authored and circulated an 80-page legal brief on claims of Christian genocide in Nigeria to authorities in the United States. The group claimed the document was later used to indict Nigeria internationally, arguing that it portrayed Nigerian Muslims unfairly and fueled foreign intervention narratives.

The organisation said Islamic groups began demanding the INEC chairman’s removal three months ago but alleged that the Presidency had not responded to their complaints. It further questioned what it called the government’s swift engagement with other interest groups while allegedly adopting a lukewarm approach toward concerns raised by Muslim organisations.

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MURIC warned that the controversy could affect the credibility of the 2027 general elections, stating that allegations of bias might become central in future election disputes. The group maintained that since the Presidency had not acted on its complaints, it was taking the matter to the “court of the people’s representatives” at the National Assembly.

The organisation emphasized that its demand was not based on religious identity but on what it described as a lack of impartiality. It insisted that the INEC chairman could not effectively serve as a neutral referee in an electoral contest involving Muslim candidates and voters, given the allegations against him. At the same time, MURIC clarified that it was not opposed to Christians occupying the INEC chairmanship, noting that previous Christian officeholders had served without objections from Muslim groups.

The group urged lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly to investigate the allegations and take what it termed appropriate action to safeguard electoral neutrality in Nigeria.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Presidency nor the INEC chairman had issued an official response to the renewed call for his removal. The development adds a fresh dimension to ongoing national conversations about election credibility, religious sensitivity, and institutional impartiality ahead of the 2027 polls.