Socio-cultural organizations operating under the banner of Ethnic Youth Leaders nationwide have rejected calls for the resignation of the Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, describing the demand as politically motivated.
The reaction followed remarks attributed to former presidential candidate Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, who criticized the newly revised timetable for the 2027 general election and urged Professor Amupitan to step down, alleging attempts to undermine Nigeria’s democracy.
In a joint statement signed by Mirabel Ashara, Deputy Spokesperson of the Ethnic Youth Leaders, the groups dismissed the call as “baseless, premature, and lacking constitutional merit.”
The statement emphasised that revising an election timetable is within INEC’s statutory duties as mandated by the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
The youth leaders stressed that administrative decisions conducted within legal boundaries should not be politicised or misrepresented as anti-democratic actions.
“The call for the resignation of Professor Joash Amupitan over an adjusted election timetable is not only nonsensical but also an attempt to heat up the polity unnecessarily,” the statement read.
They urged political actors to address grievances through lawful and institutional channels, warning that public agitation could undermine public trust in democratic institutions.
Highlighting the competence of INEC, the groups called on Nigerians to remain calm and assured that the commission is capable of conducting “credible, free, and fair elections in 2027,” noting that electoral reforms and administrative adjustments are measures designed to strengthen, rather than weaken, democracy.
Reaffirming their confidence in Professor Amupitan’s leadership, the youth leaders described him as a “seasoned legal scholar and administrator committed to upholding transparency, neutrality, and the rule of law.”
They concluded by advising political stakeholders to “prioritise national stability and democratic consolidation over personal or partisan interests.”
