The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed reports that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, is preparing to resign, describing the claim circulating on social media as false and fabricated.
In a statement on its official X account on Saturday, the commission urged Nigerians to disregard the report and avoid spreading unverified information. It described the claim as “FALSE, FABRICATED AND MISLEADING” and asked the public to rely on its official channels for accurate information about the commission and its leadership.
The denial comes amid mounting scrutiny of Amupitan’s leadership over controversies surrounding the preliminary voters’ register ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On November 9, he disclosed that INEC had removed 1,608,660 invalid registrations from the register after reviewing entries generated during the 2025 and 2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercises. He also said 54 individuals across 10 states had been identified over alleged registration irregularities and could face disciplinary action, including prosecution.
The issue has triggered protests and demands for accountability, particularly over allegations of multiple registrations, questionable photographs and other suspected irregularities.
The tension followed Amupitan to London on Thursday, where protesters reportedly surrounded his vehicle outside Chatham House as he left an engagement on Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 elections, demanding his resignation.
At the event, he acknowledged that controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections had badly damaged public confidence in INEC. He appealed to Nigerians to trust his leadership, insisting the commission was introducing measures to address past shortcomings.
He announced a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise for November 28 to test improvements to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the electronic transmission of results. He added that INEC had introduced technical safeguards to prevent inaccurate polling unit results, and figures indicating over-voting, from being uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal.
Nigeria’s presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6.