By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi

The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has clarified its recent call for the removal and prosecution of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, insisting that the position was not driven by religious considerations but by concerns over national unity, institutional credibility and constitutional responsibility.

The Council made the clarification in a press statement issued by its Secretary General, Nafiu Baba Ahmad, following widespread public reactions to a communiqué released after its Annual Pre-Ramadan Conference and General Assembly held on January 28, 2026.

According to the SCSN, its resolution calling for Prof. Amupitan’s removal had been “amplified out of context and grossly misconstrued,” particularly as an attack motivated by religion.

“The Council states unequivocally that its position is not motivated by religion or sectarian considerations, but by grave concerns relating to national cohesion, institutional integrity, constitutionalism, sovereignty, and the dangerous trajectory trailing the Chairman’s antecedents,” the statement said.

The Council noted that Nigeria’s electoral history since independence shows that religion has never been a basis for opposition to electoral leadership, pointing out that most past heads of electoral bodies, including INEC, were Christians and were accepted without controversy.

It stated that out of the 13 chairmen who have headed Nigeria’s electoral institutions, only two — Prof. Attahiru Jega and Prof. Mahmood Yakubu — were Muslims, arguing that this historical record invalidates claims of religious bias.

The SCSN said its concern with Prof. Amupitan stems from a legal brief he reportedly authored in 2020, which it described as containing “toxic, provocative and deeply prejudicial assertions” against Nigerian Muslims, Northern Nigeria and the historic Sokoto Caliphate.

Of particular concern, the Council said, were claims of a so-called “Christian genocide” and attempts to link contemporary insecurity in Northern Nigeria to the 19th-century jihad of Sheikh Uthman bin Fodio, describing such assertions as historically inaccurate and destabilising.

“These claims are not only false but profoundly dangerous in a fragile, multi-religious federation such as Nigeria,” the statement added.

The Council also expressed concern that such claims were allegedly presented to foreign actors, portraying Nigeria as a theatre of religious extermination and inviting external pressure based on what it described as false premises.

According to the SCSN, credible humanitarian data show that insecurity in Northern Nigeria is complex and driven by terrorism, banditry, poverty, governance failures and criminality, stressing that both Muslims and Christians have been victims, with Muslims constituting the majority of casualties in many affected states.

It further noted that Prof. Amupitan has neither denied authorship of the controversial document nor issued a public apology or retraction since the issues were raised.

The Council claimed that the Federal Government had been forced to publicly debunk the allegations internationally, allegedly incurring financial and diplomatic costs, including reports of payments to foreign lobbyists to counter the narrative.

“In any responsible society, such consequences alone constitute sufficient grounds for resignation, removal and legal accountability,” the SCSN said.

The Council reiterated its call for constitutional and legal processes to be followed in addressing the matter, stressing that its position is based solely on issues of character, conduct and credibility, not religion.

It also appealed to the Christian community not to be misled by what it described as divisive narratives, reaffirming its commitment to peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and justice for all Nigerians, regardless of faith.

By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi

Ahead of the deadline fixed by the authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has concluded accommodation arrangements for Nigerian pilgrims who would perform the 2026 Hajj exercise in both Makkah and Madinah.

The Chairman/CEO of the Commission, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday by his Technical Assistant on Media, Ahmad Muazu

Usman explained that the conclusion of the accommodation uploads and approval/acceptance by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj is in line with the directive of the Vice President Kashim Shettima that all critical Hajj arrangements should be finalised within approved Saudi timelines to safeguard Nigeria’s operational interests.

He acknowledged the guidance and support of the Vice President throughout the process, adding that the high-level delegation sent to Saudi Arabia, the NAHCON board and staff, the Nusuk Masar team, the leadership of the Forum of State Pilgrims Welfare Boards, and relevant stakeholders were also involved in the accommodation process.

“With the conclusion of these arrangements, Nigeria has secured its accommodation for the 2026 Hajj and is positioned among countries that have completed this critical requirement within the prescribed timelines.

“The commission now proceeds to the next phase of operational preparations for the 2026 Hajj,” the chairman stated.

Usman had earlier reaffirmed the NAHCON’s commitment to early planning, effective coordination and strict adherence to due process for the 2026 Hajj exercise.

According to him, the commission is fully aligned with the policy direction of the federal government under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places priority on the welfare and spiritual well-being of Nigerian pilgrims.

He noted that NAHCON, operating under the supervision of Vice President, is focused on ensuring the timely completion of all critical preparations ahead of the pilgrimage.

By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi

The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria, SCSN has called for the immediate removal and prosecution of the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, over what it described as compromised electoral integrity.

This was even as the council firmly opposed the federal government’s tax reform, which it noted imposes unjust hardship on ordinary Nigerians, maintaining that all fiscal policies must be equitable, humane, and socially responsible.

President of the SCSN, Sheikh Dr. Bashir Aliyu Umar at the council’s ongoing annual pre-Ramadan lecture and general assembly, attended by Islamic scholars and delegates from across the country on Wednesday in Abuja, declared that no election conducted under such circumstances could be considered credible.

“We demand the immediate removal and prosecution of the INEC chairman and declare that no election conducted under a cloud of compromised integrity can be recognised as credible,” Umar said.

He added that position of the INEC chairman in the legal brief which he established the existence of a Christian genocide, that the federal government has categorically dismissed and said that there is no Christian genocide in Nigeria, puts him in direct conflict to what is the position of the nation.

The scholar maintained that his position is an act that is unacceptable and has shown that he is clearly religiously biased and as an umpire for the democratic practice of electing a democratic government, there is the need to have someone who is clearly unbiased.

“We need someone whose integrity is not compromised because of the compromise of his integrity, we feel that the honourable thing for him to do is to resign and if not, the government should actually dismiss him or at least retire him compulsorily from the service because his integrity is clearly compromised as far as we are concerned,” he said

Umar also decried the effort to treat with kid gloves, a criminal act and major unconstitutional act by some agents of the Executive arm who substantially altered the approved bill by both chambers of the National Assembly.

He said: “It is our considered view that the National Assembly should conduct a public hearing and more importantly, undertake a comprehensive forensic review of all laws passed since the commencement of this 10th Assembly.

“The Council unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms, and demands that the Government fulfil its constitutional duty to protect every Nigerian life through both security action and peaceful reconciliation, including the aggrieved victims.

“The Council categorically rejects the premeditated false and inflammatory propaganda of a “Christian genocide” narrative, and warns that dishonest public discourse fuels division, mistrust, and national instability.”

He added that the council strongly opposes foreign interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs, the establishment of any foreign military base, and affirms that the religious freedom of the Nigerian Muslim Ummah is constitutionally guaranteed and non-negotiable.

On his part, the Madakin Zazzau, Mal. Muhammadu Munir Ja’afaru, said since its establishment of the council, it has served as a credible, principled, and courageous voice of the Nigerian Muslim Ummah.

“It has consistently demonstrated concern not only for religious matters but also for the broader wellbeing, unity, and development of our nation.

“The Council has distinguished itself through strategic engagements, providing guidance rooted in the Qur’an and Sunnah, defending constitutional rights, promoting peaceful coexistence, advocating justice, and constructively engaging government and society on critical national issues,” he stressed.