Utomi-led MCE Wants Amupitan To Step Aside, Seeks Probe Into His Partisanship

The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE), a coalition of civil society leaders led by economist Pat Utomi, has called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Ojo Amupitan, to step aside over allegations of partisanship ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement released in Abuja, the group said Amupitan had “lost the credibility required to conduct the 2027 elections,” citing what it described as a growing crisis of confidence in the electoral body.

“The hands presiding over INEC are, at best, under grave distrust and, at worst, compromised,” the statement read. “At this crucial period in Nigeria’s democratic evolution, such a burden of suspicion is untenable.”

The MCE anchored its concerns on alleged digital footprints linking the INEC chairman to partisan expressions sympathetic to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). While acknowledging Amupitan’s denial of the allegations, the group argued that “in this digital age, denial is not a defence—it is an invitation to forensic scrutiny.”

According to the statement, signed by Comrade James Ezema, Media Coordinator of the MCE., “the public domain is already saturated with analytical trails allegedly connecting the disputed account to identifiable personal and financial markers,” raising what it described as serious ethical and legal questions.

The group warned that the controversy could escalate into a broader legal crisis, noting that digital and financial systems such as BVN and NIN frameworks could make ownership of disputed accounts traceable under judicial processes.

“Any escalation of this matter into sworn testimony raises the spectre of legal crisis bordering on perjury,” the MCE stated, adding that attempts to criminalize public scrutiny would amount to “a dangerous misuse of state apparatus.”

Beyond the immediate allegations, the coalition accused INEC of a pattern of actions perceived to be biased against opposition parties, including “administrative inconsistencies” and “selective enforcement of electoral regulations.”

“The aggregation of these concerns lends credence to a disturbing hypothesis: that Nigeria is being subtly but systematically steered toward a de facto one-party state,” the statement warned.

The MCE also raised concerns about potential international repercussions, noting that aggrieved parties could seek redress at regional bodies such as the ECOWAS Court, exposing Nigeria to “international embarrassment and possible liabilities.”

On the question of ethics, the group argued that any verified partisan alignment by the INEC chairman would be fundamentally incompatible with the neutrality required of his office.

“If validated, they constitute prima facie evidence of pre-existing partisan alignment inconsistent with the neutrality required of an electoral umpire,” it said.

The coalition therefore demanded Amupitan’s immediate recusal from office to allow for an independent investigation.

“The only honourable path… is to step aside and submit to the cleansing light of transparent investigation,” the statement said.

It also called on the Federal Government to establish “an impartial panel comprising judicial, digital forensic, and civil society experts” to probe the allegations, while urging an end to any intimidation of citizens raising concerns.

Framing the issue as a pivotal moment for the country, the MCE concluded: “Nigeria stands at a democratic crossroads. The integrity of its electoral management body cannot be compromised without grave consequences.”