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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
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 that would culminate in 2027 general elections.
The SCSN said the INEC chairman lacks the capacity and credibility to conduct a free and fair 2027 election, stressing that the outcome of the 2027 election and the off-season elections that would be conducted by the INEC chairman would be unacceptable to them.
SCSN President, Sheik Bashir Aliyu Umar, dropped the demand at the annual Pre-Ramadan Lecture and General Assembly of SCSN in Abuja, yesterday, on the theme “Nigeria’s future: faith, justice, and leadership.”
He said their investigations indicated that INEC chairman has questionable position on issues of religious tolerance, and had displayed some level of religious bias in recent times, and had previously supported the western position of “genocide” against Christians in Nigeria even when the government said otherwise.
“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.
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“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 further stated that SCSN has categorically rejected the premeditated false and inflammatory propaganda of a “Christian genocide” narrative, and warns that such dishonest public 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, 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 defend 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.”
The SCSN also observed the huge imbalance in federal appointments as regards Muslims, describing it as a serious violation of constitutional equity and demanded urgent redress in line with the federal character principle to preserve national cohesion.
The Council also opposed the new tax policies, stressing that it inflicts unjust hardship on ordinary Nigerians, and insisted that all fiscal policies must be equitable, humane, and socially responsible.
