The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria, SCSN, has passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Josh Amupitan, ahead of electoral activities leading to the 2027 general elections.
The Council said the INEC chairman lacks the capacity and credibility to conduct a free and fair 2027 election, stressing that the outcome of both the general elections and off-season polls to be conducted under his leadership would be unacceptable to it.
The position was made public by the President of SCSN, Sheik Bashir Aliyu Umar, during the annual Pre-Ramadan Lecture and General Assembly of the Council held in Abuja on Wednesday. The event was themed “Nigeria’s future: faith, justice, and leadership”.
According to him, investigations by the Council indicated that the INEC chairman holds questionable positions on issues of religious tolerance and has displayed what it described as religious bias in recent times. He further alleged that the chairman had previously supported the Western position of a “genocide” against Christians in Nigeria, even when the Nigerian government maintained a contrary position.
“With this, he has lost the trust and confidence of the Muslim community in Nigeria particularly the members of SCSN. The best thing for him to do is to honourably resign, or the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, should be asked to remove him from office. Otherwise, the outcome of any election he will conduct soon will be unacceptable to us. We declare that no election conducted under a cloud of compromised integrity can be recognised as credible.
“As the nation approaches another electoral cycle, we stress the need for credible institutions, ethical leadership, and responsible civic engagement. Democracy can only thrive where public confidence is protected, and where leadership is anchored on integrity, competence, and service,” he said.
Sheik Umar stated that the SCSN has categorically rejected what it described as the premeditated false and inflammatory propaganda of a “Christian genocide” narrative, warning that such discourse could fuel division, mistrust, and national instability.
“Hence, we strongly oppose foreign interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs, rejects the establishment of any foreign military base, and affirm that the religious freedom of the Nigerian Muslim Ummah is constitutionally guaranteed and non-negotiable.
“In addition to that, the we affirm that Shariah implementation is a constitutional right of Muslims, applies only to them, and that Muslims remain committed to peaceful coexistence. We firmly defends the Halal economy and Islamic finance as ethical, inclusive development tools, and cautions against denying Nigerians access to beneficially proven instruments such as Sukuk on the basis of unhealthy religious competition,” he said.
The Council also said it had observed what it described as a huge imbalance in federal appointments affecting Muslims, describing it as a serious violation of constitutional equity. It demanded urgent redress in line with the federal character principle in order to preserve national cohesion.
On economic matters, the SCSN opposed the new tax policies, saying they inflict unjust hardship on ordinary Nigerians. It insisted that all fiscal policies must be equitable, humane, and socially responsible.
The Council further decried what it described as the treatment with kid gloves of a criminal and unconstitutional act by some agents of the Executive arm, who allegedly substantially altered a bill approved by both chambers of the National Assembly.
“It is our considered view that the National Assembly should conduct a public hearing and more importantly, undertake a comprehensive forensic review of all laws passed since the commencement of this 10th Assembly,” the Council said.
