The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has declared that the Muslim Ummah will not recognise any election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under the leadership of its chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan.
The Council made the declaration on Wednesday, at its annual pre-Ramadan lecture and general assembly in Abuja,
The president of the council, Sheikh Bashir Aliyu Umar, said it took the decision, following a brief Amupitan authored claiming that Christians in Nigeria are victims of genocide.
He called for Amupitan’s removal, citing a lack of confidence in his integrity to be fair to all faiths in Nigeria.
“Amupitan had previously described the Boko Haram insurgency and attacks by “Fulani herdsmen” as part of a coordinated anti-Christian campaign requiring international intervention.
“He was listed as a contributor to the 2020 publication Nigeria’s Silent Slaughter: Genocide in Nigeria and the Implications for the International Community, released by the International Committee on Nigeria (ICON) and the International Organisation on Peace-building & Social Justice (PSJ).
“The report documented alleged systematic killings of Christians in Nigeria and called for global action.
“Amupitan authored an 80-page chapter titled Legal Brief: Genocide in Nigeria, which argued that the scale and pattern of killings and displacement of Christians met the threshold for genocide under international law. The brief also accused the federal government of failing to protect affected communities and ensure justice for victims.
“We demand the immediate removal and prosecution of the INEC chairman and declare that no election conducted under a cloud of compromised integrity can be recognised as credible.
“Democratic credibility must never be compromised. Someone with compromised integrity should resign, or the government should dismiss or compulsorily retire him.
“We are an advocacy group and will support any legal effort questioning the veracity of his appointment,” he said.
Umar also rejected the narrative of a “Christian genocide,” warning that dishonest public discourse fuels division and instability.
He opposed foreign interference, the establishment of foreign military bases, unjust tax reforms, and any alteration of approved bills by the executive without legislative oversight.
Also speaking,House of Representatives member Sani Jaji noted that the conference guides Islamic scholars on Ramadan lectures amidst national challenges.
Similarly, Madakin Zazzau, Mal. Muhammadu Munir Ja’afaru lauded the council as a credible and principled voice of the Nigerian Muslim Ummah.
