A fierce debate has erupted over the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN), and the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) clash over calls for the removal of INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan. The council accused him of compromised integrity, citing a 2020 legal brief in which he allegedly acknowledged claims of persecution and genocide against Christians in Nigeria. The association also highlighted that previous INEC chairmen, including Professors Attahiru Jega and Mahmood Yakubu, were Muslims from northern Nigeria, and no religious objections were raised. The statement likened the move to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to retain a northern Muslim INEC chairman despite pressure. Evangelist Dedan Clifford, YOWICAN’s Chairman for the northern states and Abuja, described the call as “politically motivated and unwarranted,” emphasizing that the Shari’ah Council had no constitutional authority to demand Amupitan’s removal.