Opposition parties have called for the resignation of Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman Joash Amupitan, accusing him of showing bias toward the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections. The demand was made in a communique issued after a summit in Ibadan on Saturday, signed by leaders of multiple opposition parties and read by PDP factional national chairman Tanimu Turaki. "That INEC chairman Professor Joash Amupitan, having shown biased and open partisanship in favour of the ruling APC, should not conduct the 2027 general elections as Nigerians have lost confidence in him and his capacity to guarantee the required neutrality to deliver free, fair, transparent and credible election," Mr Turaki stated. The call follows the circulation of screenshots on X allegedly showing Mr Amupitan's account expressing support for President Bola Tinubu after his 2023 declaration as president by INEC. Mr Amupitan has denied the authenticity of the screenshots, calling them fabricated to damage his integrity. Mr Turaki described the chairman's continued tenure as "vexacious" and warned it could trigger crisis in the country. The opposition leaders also demanded that INEC extend the deadline for party primaries to July 2026, claiming current guidelines are designed to disadvantage opposition parties. The summit, aimed at uniting opposition forces, was attended by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Senate President David Mark, and ex-governors Rabiu Kwankwaso and Rauf Aregbesola. Participating parties included the Labour Party, PRP, ADP, YP, APM, and Accord Party.
Joash Amupitan faces calls to step down despite denying ownership of a social media account that backed President Tinubu after the 2023 election. The demand from opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, hinges on a credibility gap tied to digital evidence they believe undermines electoral trust. If the chairman remains, parties challenging the APC in 2027 may see his presence as institutional resistance to fair contest. This puts the integrity of INEC's neutrality directly at the centre of Nigeria's next electoral battle.
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