Group Rejects Calls For Amupitan’s Resignation, Wants Distractors Apprehended

In the wake of calls for the resignation of chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, a pro-democracy group has thrown its weight behind the country’s chief electoral officer.

The group known as Action for Accountability and Good Governance at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, said Amupitan has demonstrated competence, transparency, credibility and integrity of the highest order in the discharge of his constitutional mandate.

It said since assuming office on October 23, 2025, the chairman anchored INEC’s work on the non-negotiable principles of electoral credibility, openness and strict adherence to the Constitution, the Electoral Act, the commission’s regulations and guidelines and international best practices.

Reading the text of the press conference, president of the group, Peter Bassey said under Amupitan’s leadership, INEC remained firm that “the integrity of the electoral process must be absolute and above reproach.”⁠

Bassey said the INEC chairman’s leadership style and proven mastery of the processes within the shortest has culminated into the early release of the notice of election and timetable for the 2027 general elections on February 13, 2026 to dispel speculations and guarantee early, adequate and robust preparedness for the polls.

He also commended Amupitan for the successful coordination and timely announcement of results of Anambra state governorship election, FCT area council elections on February 21, 2026 and proactive preparations for the upcoming Ekiti and Osun states governorship polls as well as
sustained stakeholder engagements.

Bassey said the group had follow up with previous and current happenings, such as the divisive posts, chants, moves, steps and call for the INEC chairman’s removal/resignation over a fake X handle account that does not belong to him.

According to him, the group discovered that, “the X handle, ‘@joashamupitan’, purportedly created with a website http://amupitanjyahoo.com as revealed by GROK, without an ‘@’ to qualify it as an email address capable of being used to create an X account is a deliberate distortion of fact.

“The deliberate picking, pegging and circulation of his genuine Yahoo Email Address Account Password Reset, with all his genuine details from his Curriculum Vitae, under the pretext that, it belonged to an X Twitter Account Creation or Opening is reprimandable.

“The deliberate extrapolation sharing of unconnected details from his Curriculum Vitae, just to fill in the hidden details to further spread false information should be treated as a national risk.

“It is clear from our forensic investigators as cursory described above, before coming out to lend our full support to the commission under Prof Amupitan’s watch, as we encourage all well-meaning Nigerians to do is that, the Chairman never, as at the time of giving this press release, created, owned or operated any account in any of his name or however coined under the X-Space.”

He therefore, called on the security agencies to hasten efforts to apprehend any of the distractors in line with the Cybercrimes Act which abhors misinformation, disinformation, distortion and presentation of information falsely over the internet to make it appear to be real.

“Once this is done timeously, even to one set or persons or groups, a lot of democratic distractors will learn and think twice before indulging on or encouraging unverifiable creation, fabrication of acts or omissions, considered inimical under our law and morality that could plunge the entire fragile country Nigeria, into a total collapse.

“Moreso, that the outburst of a former Minister, alleging that, the amiable Prof Amupitan SAN, does not have ‘any integrity’ be totally disregarded, as it is a lone voice in the wilderness, begging for recognition or attention.

“The current cases instituted by or against INEC in all court of competent jurisdictions, be allowed to make progress by all, including political distractors who are not ready or serious about progressional democracy,”Bassey stated.

Action for Accountability and Good Governance declared that the current INEC under Amupitan is in a competent and trustworthy hands and should be supported.

The group’s leader called on all stakeholders — political parties, civil society group, the media, and every citizen — to rally around Amupitan in this purposeful, distractive moment by “enemies of true democracy” to support him and the commission in the preparation for the forthcoming off season polls and the 2027 general election come 2027.

Bassey told Amupitan that, “the love for the Nigerian People on you, has led them to be sending you free money into your Opay Account. Has it ever happened? These distractions are all blessings in disguised, don’t be distracted.”