The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has urgently called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to revoke the appointment of the newly inaugurated Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof Joash Ojo Amupitan.
The Council’s demand follows the surfacing of a controversial legal opinion reportedly prepared by Prof Amupitan. This document was created for an international report that characterized violence in the north as “Christian genocide.”
Allegations of ‘Provocative’ Anti-Muslim Assertions
In the legal brief, Prof Amupitan allegedly categorized conflicts in Northern Nigeria as a continuation of the 19th-century Jihad led by Sheikh Uthman bn Fodio. He also reportedly called for urgent global intervention to halt attacks against Christians and minority groups.
This controversial report surfaced shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” and threatened military action. The Nigerian government has strongly refuted all claims of religious persecution.
The Shari’ah Council described Amupitan’s legal brief as “provocative, distorted and bigoted assertions” aimed at Muslims in Northern Nigeria.
Denial of Genocide and Historical Distortion
The SCSN condemned Amupitan’s reported claims as “divisive, sectarian, abusive, and factually inaccurate narratives.” The Council finds such a stance “regrettable and disturbing,” especially from someone “now entrusted with overseeing Nigeria’s democratic integrity.”
The SCSN categorically debunked the claim of “Christian genocide.” It insisted that the widespread violence in Northern and North-Central Nigeria is complex and multi-dimensional, not one-sided religious persecution.
- Objective Facts: The Council argues that the violence in Northern Nigeria is complex. Both Muslims and Christians suffer from extremist attacks, banditry, and communal conflicts rooted in neglect and poverty.
- Casualty Data: The SCSN claimed that Muslims have suffered more casualties than any other group in the ongoing crises. They argue this is easily verifiable across violence epicenters where “over 90 percent of the victims are Muslims.”
- Historical Distortion: The Council called Amupitan’s attempt to link modern insecurity to the historic jihad of Sheikh Uthman bn Fodio “a malicious distortion of history and a deliberate insult.” The SCSN views the Jihad as a spiritual and social reform movement that restored justice.
Demand for Reversal of Appointment
The SCSN stressed that Amupitan’s writings “call into serious question his ability to conduct free and fair elections.” The Council demands that President Tinubu “immediately review and reverse” Amupitan’s appointment. They stated that Nigeria’s electoral integrity cannot be entrusted to someone whose record shows “open hostility toward one of the country’s largest faith communities.”
The Council appealed for calm among all Nigerians. It urged both Muslims and Christians to unite against common national threats: “Our common enemies are injustice, corruption, poverty, and insecurity.”
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