Shari’ah Council demands sack, prosecution of INEC chairman, opposes tax reform

 

The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN), on Wednesday, called for the immediate removal and prosecution of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, insisting that elections conducted under his leadership would lack credibility.

The Islamic body also rejected the Federal Government’s proposed tax reforms, warning that policies which impose undue hardship on ordinary Nigerians must not be implemented.

The position of the Council was made known by its President, Dr. Bashir Aliyu Umar, in a welcome address at the opening of the SCSN’s 2026 annual pre-Ramadan lecture and general assembly in Abuja. The event, themed “Nigeria’s Future: Faith, Justice and Leadership,” attracted Islamic scholars and delegates from across the country.

Dr. Umar said the call for Amupitan’s removal became necessary following a legal brief allegedly authored by the INEC chairman, in which claims of a “Christian genocide” were made — an allegation the Federal Government has since dismissed.

According to him, the stance taken by the INEC chairman puts him in direct conflict with Nigeria’s official position and raises serious concerns about his neutrality.

“We demand the immediate removal and prosecution of the INEC chairman and declare that no election conducted under a cloud of compromised integrity can be recognised as credible,” Umar said.

He accused the INEC boss of religious bias, stressing that the electoral umpire must be led by someone whose integrity is beyond reproach.

“Nigeria needs an unbiased umpire. Given the compromise of his integrity, the honourable thing for him to do is to resign. If he fails to do so, the government should dismiss or compulsorily retire him,” he added.

On fiscal matters, the SCSN president said the Council firmly opposed any tax reform that worsens the living conditions of Nigerians, insisting that government policies must be equitable, humane and socially responsible.

He further condemned what he described as the alleged alteration of tax reform bills passed by the National Assembly by some executive agents, calling for legislative intervention.

“The National Assembly should conduct a public hearing and undertake a comprehensive forensic review of all laws passed since the inauguration of the 10th Assembly,” Umar said.

The Council also condemned all forms of terrorism and urged the Federal Government to fulfil its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property.

It equally rejected what it described as “false and inflammatory propaganda” surrounding claims of a Christian genocide, warning that such narratives could fuel division and national instability.

The SCSN further opposed foreign interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs and the establishment of any foreign military base in the country, while reaffirming that the religious freedom of Muslims remains constitutionally guaranteed and non-negotiable.

Speaking earlier, the Madakin Zazzau, Mallam Muhammadu Munir Ja’afaru, described the Shari’ah Council as a principled and courageous voice of the Nigerian Muslim Ummah, noting its consistent engagement on national unity, justice and peaceful coexistence.