The Christian Social Movement of Nigeria has warned the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria against making what it called inflammatory calls for the resignation of the Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan.
In a statement, CSMN urged the council to contribute to the nationwide push for constitutional reform and stressed that religious organisations must avoid actions or statements that could exacerbate tensions in an already fragile nation.
The reaction follows remarks reportedly made by the SCSN President, Sheikh Bashir Umar, at the council’s 2026 Annual Pre-Ramadan Lecture and General Assembly in Abuja.
Umar had called for Amupitan’s resignation, describing him as a threat to Nigeria’s democratic credibility, and warned that Muslims would neither recognise nor legitimise elections conducted under his leadership.
Commenting on the development, CSMN Chairman, Governing Council, Elder Sunday Oibe, and CEO, Bosun Emmanuel, argued that such threats were unnecessary and risked inflaming sectarian divisions.
The group stressed that “the appointment of the INEC chairman remains the constitutional prerogative of the President in conjunction with the National Assembly.”
Drawing on historical precedents, CSMN pointed out that former President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, appointed Prof. Attahiru Jega, a Muslim, as INEC chairman without religious objections, and similarly, former President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim, appointed Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, also a Muslim, without triggering calls for election boycotts.
The group questioned why Prof. Amupitan’s appointment under President Bola Tinubu has sparked religious opposition, suggesting that the resistance is based more on identity than merit.
According to CSMN, the controversy around Amupitan is linked to a legal opinion he expressed regarding reports of killings of Christians in Nigeria. The group insisted that “such an opinion should not be weaponised to question his neutrality as INEC chairman.”
It added, “The matter for which Prof. Amupitan is being labelled a threat to democracy is rather trivial. That citizen gave a legal opinion in his capacity as a legal practitioner, on a report that documented genocide against Christians in Nigeria. That opinion was no different from the campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which went to the United States in 2014, interestingly during the presidency of Dr Goodluck Jonathan, to raise global alarm about Christians being ‘slaughtered’ in Nigeria, which the same APC government is now denying for political expediency. Maybe the APC should also resign entirely from governance for being guiltier of the very act that a citizen is being sternly vilified.”
The group further argued, “It is clear that the Shari’ah Council’s objection to Prof. Amupitan’s appointment has nothing to do with his legal opinion but everything to do with his not being a northern Muslim, especially his being a Christian. It is to be assumed that the Shari’ah Council is fully aware that Section 38(1) of the tolerated 1999 Constitution guarantees freedom of religious conviction to every citizen.”
CSMN also highlighted instances where heads of federal institutions had publicly expressed strong religious positions while in office without facing calls for removal.
The organisation called for a broader national conversation on Nigeria’s constitutional framework, particularly regarding Shari’ah’s place in the legal system. It distinguished between Shari’ah personal law, which it said aligns with customary law and enjoys constitutional recognition, and Shari’ah criminal law, which the group argued lacks clear constitutional support and has fuelled tensions in parts of the country.
Quoting authorities including Prof. Ben Nwabueze, Justice Mohammed Bello, and Mr. Solomon Asemota (SAN), CSMN maintained that elements of Shari’ah criminal law are inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution, especially regarding freedom of religion.
The group urged citizens and religious leaders to focus on constitutional reform, stating, “Attempts to deepen religious imbalance when the country should be seeking healing and fairness will only drag it deeper into mutual suspicion and sectarian violence.”
CSMN concluded by appealing to the Shari’ah Council to use its influence to promote justice and national cohesion rather than pursuing a divisive campaign against the INEC chairman.
