Nigerians In London Protest Against INEC Chairman Amupitan, Demand His Resignation

Nigerians living in the United Kingdom on Thursday staged a protest against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, during his visit to Chatham House in London.

The protesters reportedly surrounded the vehicle conveying the electoral chief as he arrived at the venue, demanding his resignation over alleged irregularities in the commission’s preliminary voter register.

According to information available to Bush Radio Academy, the demonstrators, believed to be members of the Nigerian diaspora, raised concerns over alleged duplicate voter entries, the use of artificial intelligence-generated photographs and the inclusion of questionable polling units in the register.

Some protesters also criticised INEC, with demonstrators making serious allegations against the electoral body and calling for greater accountability in the management of Nigeria’s electoral process.

The protest coincided with Amupitan’s scheduled participation in a discussion at Chatham House on Nigeria’s electoral system. The engagement was organised by the Kimpact Development Initiative.

Speaking during the event, the INEC chairman appealed to Nigerians to have confidence in his leadership, assuring them that the commission was committed to conducting free, fair, credible and inclusive elections in 2027.

Amupitan acknowledged that technical challenges recorded during the 2023 general election had significantly weakened public confidence in INEC, adding that the commission was working to rebuild trust ahead of the next electoral cycle.

He said, “The 2023 general election significantly affected public confidence in INEC, and the commission is still working to rebuild the trust of Nigerians.”

The electoral chief also disclosed that measures had been introduced to prevent inaccurate polling unit results from appearing on the commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV) during the 2027 elections.

The protest and the concerns raised by the demonstrators have further highlighted the public scrutiny facing INEC as preparations for the 2027 general election continue.