Opposition parties have demanded the immediate resignation of Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Joash Amupitan, over alleged partisanship in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections. 

The demand was contained in a communique signed by several opposition party leaders and read by the factional national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Tanimu Turaki, at a summit held in Ibadan on Saturday. 

“That INEC chairman Professor Joash Amupitan, having shown biased and open partisanship in favour of the ruling APC should not conduct the 2027 general elections as Nigerians have lost confidence in him and his capacity to guarantee the required neutrality required to a deliver free, fair, transparent and credible election”, the politician stated.

Mr Amupitan was at the centre of criticism after screenshots on X showed an account allegedly belonging to the electoral chairman showing support for President Bola Tinubu after he was declared as president by INEC in 2023.

The development stirred controversy among political parties and Nigerians who asked Mr Amupitan to resign despite his denial that the screenshots were deliberately fabricated to impugn on his integrity.

Mr Turaki, however, insisted that the electoral chairman’s continued stay in power amid the allegations is capable of causing widespread violence in the country.

He added; “His continued stay in office is vexacious and capable of triggering crisis in our nation.”

The politician further asked INEC to extend the deadline for primaries till July 2026, accusing the electoral umpire of intent to sabotage the opposition in the country.

“That we consider the recent guidelines released by INEC as obstacles deliberately engineered as conditions and deadlines against opposition parties. We therefore demand that INEC extends the deadline for primaries till the end of July 2026,” Mr Turaki stated.

The Ibadan summit was convened by the opposition party leaders to forge a united front ahead of future political contests, amid alleged plot by the ruling APC to disrupt their activities and contest the 2027 election unchallenged. 

Present at the summit were key members of the opposition, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi; former Senate President David Mark; former Governor of Kano State Rabiu Kwankwaso; former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, among others.

Some of the political parties present at the summit included the People’s Redemption Party, Labour Party, Accord Party, All Progressives Movement (APM), Youth Party (YP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), among others.