Opposition parties in Nigeria have fostered a united front, calling for the resignation of Professor Joash Amupitan as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), among other demands ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Other demands include immediate review of the Electoral Act 2026 by the National Assembly, release of detained leading politicians and the extension of INEC deadline for party primaries.
The demands were contained in a communique issued after a National Summit of Opposition Political Parties held in Ibadan on Saturday.
According to the release, the call for Amupitan’s resignation was as a result of alleged bias and partisanship in favour of the ruling APC.
“That the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, having shown bias and partisanship in favour of the ruling APC, should not conduct the 2027 general elections as Nigerians across board have lost confidence in him and his capacity to guarantee the required neutrality to deliver free, fair, transparent and credible elections. His continuous stay in office is vexatious and capable of triggering wide spread crisis in our nation,” the communique said.
Continuing, the Summit also agreed to present a single presidential candidate backed by all opposition parties, in a bid to resist “all machinations by the APC to foist a one-party State on Nigeria and fight for the survival of multi-party democracy in our country.”
The communique, which described the APC-led government as oppressive and anti-democratic, conveyed the summit’s position of an urgent “need for urgent, collective action to rescue our nation and the destiny of over 200 million compatriots.”
The communique partly reads, “That the National Assembly should immediately review the Electoral Act, 2026 to remove all sections that threaten the sanctity and integrity of the elections and run counter to constitutional provisions.
“That all leading politicians that are being detained or harassed on bailable offfences be released with immediate effect and allowed to exercise their fundamental rights of participation and inclusivity as Nigerians.
“That we consider the recent guidelines released by the INEC as obstacles, deliberately engineered to impose conditions and deadlines on the opposition parties. We therefore demand that INEC extends the deadline for primaries till the end of July, 2026.
“The Summit commends Nigerians for their resilience and readiness to work with Opposition Parties to free our nation from State capture.
“The National summit of Opposition Political Parties thank the Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde and the people of Oyo State for hosting the epochal event.”
Tribune
