MURIC Urges National Assembly To Sack INEC Chair Amupitan

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has taken its demand for the removal of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan (SAN), to the National Assembly.

The group is pressing for Amupitan’s removal over his alleged role in preparing an 80-page legal brief on Christian genocide, which was reportedly used by the United States to indict Nigeria.

MURIC made its latest position known on Wednesday in a statement signed by its founder and executive director, Ishaq Akintola.

“Three months after Islamic organisations began their demand for the removal of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Joash Amupitan, the letter is still in office,” the statement read.

The organisation also accused the Presidency of failing to address complaints raised by Islamic groups over the matter.

“The Presidency appears uninterested in listening to complaints coming from Islamic organisations (most especially MURIC) about the INEC boss.

“This is in spite of indisputable evidence of deep involvement of the INEC boss in levelling false allegations and fraudulent charges against Nigerian Muslims before the American audience,” it stated.

MURIC further questioned what it described as the government’s selective responsiveness to demands from different groups.

“We are intrigued by the speed at which the presidency responds when terrorists who are less than one per cent of the population make their frivolous demands and the lukewarm approach of the same presidency to genuine, evidence-backed and undeniable complaints of peace-loving, dialogue-compliant and law-abiding Islamic organisations,” the statement added.

The group also expressed concerns about Amupitan’s perceived neutrality ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“How can the Presidency impose a man who exhibited extreme hatred for Nigerian Muslims, in words and in deeds, on the Muslim electorate and their candidates as the referee in a game where his word is final?

“Take it or leave it, this issue of Amupitan’s documented anti-Muslim prejudice may become the crux of the matter either at the national or state level of an election dispute in 2027.

“You will say MURIC said so,” the statement added.

According to the group, it has now decided to seek legislative intervention following what it described as the Presidency’s silence on the issue.

“Since the Presidency appears uninterested in listening to the complaints of Muslims against Amupitan, we must take his case to the court of the people’s representatives, the National Assembly.

“It is not about his religion. It is about the fanatical, hateful and vicious approach adopted by him towards Nigerian Muslims,” the group said.

MURIC argued that lawmakers have a responsibility to examine the concerns raised by Muslim organisations.

“The NASS has a moral duty to listen to the case of Nigerian Muslims against Amupitan.

“As law-abiding and peace-loving citizens, we have brought our case to the Red and Green chambers for adjudication.

“We deserve listening ears as taxpayers. We deserve attention as bona fide Nigerians.

“We reject Amupitan as INEC boss for the ignoble role he played in bringing American troops to Nigeria. He cannot be an impartial referee in the 2027 Contest. Amupitan must go,” it added.

The group maintained that its repeated calls for his removal are now part of public record.

“For the records and for the umpteenth time, today’s renewal of our demand that Prof Joash Amupitan must be removed as INEC boss will again go into the chronicles of Nigerian history. Fortunately internet does not forget.

“The number of times we made the demand without getting a single response is now on record,” it added.

While insisting that its position is not based on religious considerations, the organisation called for a replacement it considers neutral.

“Give us a good Christian, a Christian who has no death wish for his Muslim compatriot.

“Amupitan cannot be a good referee in a contest involving Muslims after inviting America to come and deal with Muslims in the process of ‘protecting Nigerian Christians’.

“There are many good Christians who will do this INEC job without exhibiting any bias towards Muslims.

“For the record, many Christians have held that position in the past without the Muslims complaining,” MURIC said.

The group ended the statement by reiterating its demand for Amupitan’s removal.

“Amupitan must go! That is the battle cry. Whoever thinks we have forgotten this demand is making a big mistake. Our cause is just. We have been stabbed in the back. No retreat, no surrender,” it concluded.