The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, to step aside over allegations it said had created a crisis of confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement by its Media Coordinator, Comrade James Ezema, the group said its intervention was aimed at protecting Nigeria’s electoral integrity and restoring public trust in the electoral body.

MCE alleged that recent digital footprints purportedly linking the INEC chairman to partisan expressions favourable to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had raised serious questions about his neutrality.

The group noted that although Amupitan had reportedly denied the allegations, the denials had not resolved public concerns and instead heightened calls for independent verification.

According to the organisation, the controversy could escalate into legal and institutional challenges capable of distracting the commission in the build-up to the 2027 elections.

It further claimed that identity verification systems, digital access logs and other forensic tools could be used to determine the authenticity of the allegations if subjected to an independent investigation.

Beyond the immediate controversy, MCE expressed concern over what it described as a growing pattern of actions by INEC that had been interpreted by some stakeholders as unfavourable to opposition political parties.

The group warned that continued erosion of confidence in the electoral body could damage Nigeria’s democratic image locally and internationally, including possible legal actions before regional courts.

MCE therefore demanded that the INEC chairman temporarily vacate office to allow for what it described as a transparent and impartial probe.

It also urged the Federal Government to set up an independent panel made up of judicial officers, digital forensic experts and civil society representatives to investigate the matter.

The organisation further called for an end to intimidation or harassment of citizens raising concerns and urged INEC to undertake reforms capable of restoring confidence in its neutrality.

It said the country was at a critical democratic moment and stressed that the credibility of the electoral management body must not be compromised ahead of the next general elections.

“The exhumed digital expressions of AMUPITAN—widely interpreted as supportive of the APC during the last electoral cycle—raise fundamental ethical questions. If validated, they constitute prima facie evidence of pre-existing partisan alignment inconsistent with the neutrality required of an electoral umpire, which inevitably leads to a troubling conclusion: that the appointment of Professor Amupitan may have been influenced by partisan considerations, thereby undermining the moral foundation of his office and the 2027 elections.

“Professor Amupitan must recognize that this is no longer a personal matter of denial—it is a national question of trust. The only honourable path, consistent with both legal prudence and moral responsibility, is to step aside and submit to the cleansing light of transparent investigation.

“History will not be kind to those who, when confronted with questions of integrity, chose concealment over accountability.”