The National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN) has expressed confidence in Joash Amupitan, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Blessing Akinlosotu, executive director, NCSCN, the umbrella body for nearly 1,000 NGOs and humanitarian foundations nationwide, made the announcement on Monday in Abuja.

Mr Akinlosotu said the vote of confidence in Mr Amupitan was necessitated by the need to protect Nigeria’s democratic institutions amid misguided calls for the chairman’s resignation and unwarranted attacks on the integrity of INEC.

“In light of the unpatriotic and ill-motivated calls for the resignation of the INEC chairman, the NCSCN hereby issues a resolute and unanimous vote of confidence in Amupitan. Our confidence is predicated on his unwavering legal integrity. As a senior advocate of Nigeria and a distinguished professor of law, Mr Amupitan has brought a rule-of-law-first approach to the commission.

“His refusal to bow to political pressure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) matter is proof of his commitment to judicial sanctity. Under his leadership, we have seen a shift from the era of ballot-snatching and result-manipulation to a system where votes truly count, thanks to the safeguards built into the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

“The current focus on tackling ‘vote trading’ is a testament to the fact that the electoral process has become too robust for old-fashioned rigging,” he said.

Mr Akinlosotu said that since Mr Amupitan’s swearing-in on October 23, 2025, the chairman had demonstrated that he was apolitical, focusing strictly on delivering a free, fair, and inclusive process for 2027.

“The results of the Anambra governorship election in November 2025 and the recent FCT Area Council elections are indications that he should be given a chance.

“An attack on the INEC Chairman for obeying a court order is an attack on the judiciary itself; we will not stand by while a man of such academic and professional distinction is maligned for simply doing his job,” he said.

Mr Akinlosotu advised the ADC faction in question to return to the trial court to argue for its legitimacy, rather than seek a political solution to a legal problem.

The executive director said the council had received intelligence regarding attempts to mobilise CSOs for a national protest aimed at maligning the commission.

He cautioned that NCSCN would sanction and de-affiliate any organisation that participated in the planned protests.

“We state categorically that the civil society space will not be rented for partisan warfare. Disregard calls for the chairman’s resignation; it is a smokescreen designed to distract the commission from its reformative path.

“Nigeria’s democracy is maturing; the days of using ‘mob action’ to override legal processes are over; the NCCN stands firmly with the truth, the rule of law, and the current leadership of INEC,” he said. 

(NAN)