Opposition political parties on Saturday demanded the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, citing alleged bias and loss of public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The demand formed part of resolutions reached at a National Summit of opposition parties held in Ibadan, Oyo State, where leaders warned of what they described as growing threats to Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the parties accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of attempting to foist a one-party state on the country, vowing to resist any such move.
They also declared their readiness to participate fully in the 2027 elections, dismissing claims that the political space was being narrowed to favour President Bola Tinubu.
“That the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, having shown bias and partisanship in favour of the ruling APC, should not conduct the 2027 general elections.
“Nigerians across board have lost confidence in him and his capacity to guarantee the required neutrality to deliver free, fair, transparent and credible elections. His continuous stay in office is vexatious and capable of triggering widespread crisis in our nation,” the communiqué read by PDP National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki noted.
The summit further resolved to explore the possibility of presenting a unified presidential candidate, in a bid to strengthen the opposition’s chances and rescue the nation from what they termed state capture.
The opposition leaders also called on the National Assembly to urgently review the Electoral Act, 2026, to expunge provisions they said threaten the integrity of the electoral process and contradict constitutional safeguards.
They further demanded the immediate release of politicians allegedly detained or harassed over bailable offences, insisting that such actions undermine inclusivity and democratic participation.
“That all leading politicians that are being detained or harassed on bailable offences be released with immediate effect and allowed to exercise their fundamental rights,” the parties stated.
The summit criticised recent guidelines issued by INEC, describing them as deliberate obstacles designed to constrain opposition parties, and called for an extension of the deadline for party primaries to the end of July 2026.
“That we consider the recent guidelines released by INEC as obstacles, deliberately engineered to impose conditions and deadlines on the opposition parties,” the communiqué added.
The parties commended Nigerians for their resilience and support, pledging to continue mobilising citizens towards what they described as a collective effort to safeguard democracy.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
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