By Abubakar Yunusa
The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria(SCSN )has called for the immediate removal and prosecution of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, over what it described as compromised electoral integrity.
The council said no election conducted under such circumstances could be considered credible.
The President of the council, Sheikh Dr Bashir Aliyu Umar, OON, made the demand on Wednesday in Abuja.
He spoke at the council’s ongoing annual pre-Ramadan lecture and general assembly, attended by Islamic scholars and delegates from across the country.
“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 added that no election conducted under what he described as a cloud of compromised integrity could be recognised as credible.
The council insisted that Amupitan should either resign honourably or be dismissed or compulsorily retired by the government.
Beyond the INEC issue, the council condemned what it described as poor budget implementation, mis-prioritisation and the underfunding of critical institutions.
It called for people-centred and fiscally responsible budgeting capable of addressing Nigeria’s vulnerabilities.
The council also raised concerns over perceived imbalance in federal appointments, describing it as a violation of the federal character principle and a threat to national cohesion.
Umar reaffirmed that the implementation of Shari’ah was a constitutional right of Muslims, stressing that it applied only to them and did not negate peaceful coexistence.
On foreign affairs, the council condemned what it described as genocide in Gaza, decried global silence and renewed its call for humanitarian access and justice for Palestinians.
Speaking on the significance of the pre-Ramadan lecture, Umar said Nigeria was at a critical crossroads and in dire need of unity, justice and responsible leadership to overcome its social and political challenges.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Ecological Fund, Rt. Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji, said the lecture was timely, given the challenges facing the country ahead of Ramadan.
Jaji urged religious leaders to guide the faithful towards moderation and peaceful conduct, warning against attempts to pitch religious groups against one another.
In his opening remarks, the Madakin Zazzau, Mallam Muhammadu Munir Ja’afaru, OFR, said insecurity, economic hardship and deepening social divisions had pushed Nigeria into difficult times.
He called on Muslims to use the Ramadan period for repentance, moral reform and renewed commitment to justice, unity and responsible leadership.
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