Opposition Watch Nigeria (OWN) has called for the immediate resignation of INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), accusing him of clear bias and meddling in the internal matters of opposition parties.
The demand came in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by OWN’s spokesperson, Aisha Bello, who described the situation as “democracy under siege” and announced a public campaign under the hashtag #AmupitanMustResign.
OWN, a non-partisan group that advocates for democratic accountability and the rule of law, said recent actions by INEC under Amupitan’s leadership have undermined the Commission’s neutrality and shaken public trust in Nigeria’s electoral process.
“The role of INEC is to regulate and conduct elections, not to arbitrate or impose decisions on the internal governance of political parties,” Bello stated. “By repeatedly overstepping its constitutional bounds, the current leadership has eroded trust in the Commission and undermined the integrity of the democratic process.”
The organisation pointed to what it called concerning developments involving the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as evidence of selective interference by INEC.
OWN noted that the Supreme Court has repeatedly censured INEC for its involvement in leadership and nomination disputes within the SDP, warning that such acts represent a serious overreach of its mandate. According to the group, these rulings reinforce the independence of political parties in handling their own affairs.
The group also criticised INEC’s handling of conflicts within the PDP, claiming that contradictory recognitions of leadership factions and “questionable invitations to meetings” have deepened divisions within the party.
“These actions create the perception that INEC is taking sides in opposition party disputes, with the apparent aim of weakening their structures ahead of future elections,” Bello said.
OWN cautioned that any perceived bias by the electoral body could tilt the political field in favour of the ruling party, weaken multiparty competition, and put the country on a risky path.
“Impartiality is the foundation of credible elections,” the statement said. “When the umpire is perceived as playing for one side, democracy itself is put at risk.”
The group stressed that opposition parties, including the SDP and PDP, have the constitutional right to manage their internal disputes according to their party constitutions, without interference from INEC.
“The Chairman’s continued stay in office under these circumstances is untenable,” Bello added. “It poses a clear and present danger to the conduct of free and fair elections in Nigeria.”
OWN urged civil society, the media, and the international community to support its call for accountability, insisting that Amupitan must resign to restore confidence in the electoral body.
“Patriots must resist any attempt to weaponise state institutions against opposition voices,” the statement concluded. “Nigeria’s democracy cannot afford an electoral umpire perceived to be working for one side.”
