Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming its chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, is preparing to step down.
In a statement posted on its official X account on Saturday, the commission described a widely shared image containing the allegation as “false, fabricated and misleading”. It urged the public to ignore the rumour, stop sharing unverified claims, and rely solely on official INEC channels for updates on the commission’s activities and leadership.
The denial comes just two days after Prof Amupitan spoke at the Chatham House think tank in London, where he outlined INEC’s preparations and vision for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections. During Thursday’s event, he acknowledged that disputes surrounding the 2023 polls had damaged public confidence in the electoral body, but appealed to Nigerians to trust his leadership.
He also announced new technical safeguards Nigeria’s electoral body denies chairman resignation rumoursto prevent inaccurate results from being uploaded to INEC’s viewing portal, alongside a nationwide mock voting exercise scheduled for later this month to test upgrades to the voter accreditation system.
Following the London engagement, Prof Amupitan was confronted outside the venue by a group of protesters demanding his resignation over alleged flaws in the voters’ register.
Nigeria’s next presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for 16 January 2027, with governorship and state assembly polls set to follow on 6 February.
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