By Abubakar Yunusa
The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria has called for the immediate removal and prosecution of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, over alleged legal brief to the United States of America in which he reportedly affirmed the existence of a Christian genocide in Nigeria.
The council made the demand on Wednesday in Abuja during its annual pre-Ramadan lecture and general assembly.
Speaking at the assembly,the President of the council, Sheikh Dr Bashir Aliyu Umar, said the position attributed to the INEC chairman was unacceptable and showed clear religious bias.
Umar said the Federal Government had repeatedly dismissed claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, noting that the stance allegedly taken by the electoral umpire placed him in direct conflict with the official position of the country.
According to him, such a development gravely undermines the credibility and integrity required of the head of the electoral body.
“As an umpire in a democratic process, the INEC chairman must be clearly unbiased and above suspicion,” Umar said.
He added that no election conducted under what he described as a cloud of compromised integrity could be recognised as credible.
The council insisted that Amupitan should either resign honourably or be dismissed or compulsorily retired by the government.
Beyond the INEC issue, the council condemned what it described as poor budget implementation, mis-prioritisation and the underfunding of critical institutions.
It called for people-centred and fiscally responsible budgeting capable of addressing Nigeria’s vulnerabilities.
The council also raised concerns over perceived imbalance in federal appointments, describing it as a violation of the federal character principle and a threat to national cohesion.
Umar reaffirmed that the implementation of Shari’ah was a constitutional right of Muslims, stressing that it applied only to them and did not negate peaceful coexistence.
On foreign affairs, the council condemned what it described as genocide in Gaza, decried global silence and renewed its call for humanitarian access and justice for Palestinians.
Speaking on the significance of the pre-Ramadan lecture, Umar said Nigeria was at a critical crossroads and in dire need of unity, justice and responsible leadership to overcome its social and political challenges.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Ecological Fund, Rt. Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji, said the lecture was timely, given the challenges facing the country ahead of Ramadan.
Jaji urged religious leaders to guide the faithful towards moderation and peaceful conduct, warning against attempts to pitch religious groups against one another.
In his opening remarks, the Madakin Zazzau, Mallam Muhammadu Munir Ja’afaru, OFR, said insecurity, economic hardship and deepening social divisions had pushed Nigeria into difficult times.
He called on Muslims to use the Ramadan period for repentance, moral reform and renewed commitment to justice, unity and responsible leadership.
