Commission describes viral social media claim as fabricated amid controversy over voters’ register ahead of 2027 elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed a social media report claiming that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, is planning to resign, describing it as false and misleading.
The commission issued the denial on Saturday in a statement posted on its official X account, urging Nigerians to disregard the report and avoid sharing unverified information.
“The claim is FALSE, FABRICATED AND MISLEADING,” INEC stated, advising the public to rely on its official communication channels for accurate information.
The denial comes amid criticism of Amupitan’s leadership over alleged irregularities in the preliminary voters’ register ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On November 9, the INEC chairman disclosed that the commission had removed 1,608,660 invalid registrations following a review of entries from the 2025 and 2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercises. He also said 54 people across 10 states had been flagged over alleged registration irregularities and could face disciplinary action or prosecution.
The controversy followed Amupitan to London, where protesters confronted his vehicle outside Chatham House on Thursday, demanding his resignation over alleged problems with the voters’ register.
At the engagement, Amupitan acknowledged that controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections had damaged public confidence in INEC but urged Nigerians to trust his leadership.
He also announced plans for a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise on November 28 to test upgrades to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and electronic transmission of results.
The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6.