{"id":125305,"date":"2026-01-29T18:29:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T17:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=125305"},"modified":"2026-01-29T18:29:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T17:29:07","slug":"can-slams-shariah-council-over-demand-for-inec-chairs-removal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/can-slams-shariah-council-over-demand-for-inec-chairs-removal\/","title":{"rendered":"CAN Slams Shariah Council Over Demand for INEC Chair&#8217;s Removal"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Oscar Okhifo<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned the call by the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) seeking the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, warning against the use of religion to undermine democratic institutions.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Shariah Council had earlier this week called for the immediate removal and prosecution of the INEC chairman, alleging compromised integrity over a legal brief in which Amupitan allegedly acknowledged claims of persecution and genocide against Christians in Nigeria.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reacting in a press statement jointly signed on Thursday by the Chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, and the Secretary General, Bishop Mohammed Naga, the association questioned the motive behind the demand, asking who was sponsoring the call and why such interests were \u201chiding under the platform of a religious body.\u201d<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Describing the call as a dangerous attempt to undermine a critical national institution, Hayab said Amupitan has a constitutional right to freedom of religion, stressing that expressing concern over challenges faced by one\u2019s faith does not amount to bias or disqualification from public office.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He noted that several Muslims who had previously served in key government positions had well-known religious antecedents but, were never subjected to similar scrutiny, urging national actors to prioritise competence, integrity and national interest above sectarian sentiments.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Northern CAN chairman warned that the controversy reinforces long-standing concerns about religious discrimination against Christians in Nigeria, particularly in appointments to sensitive national offices.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He recalled that the two immediate past INEC chairmen were Muslims from Northern Nigeria, cautioning against narratives that suggest that only adherents of a particular religion are qualified to head the electoral body.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cAnyone hiding under the guise of the Shariah Council to demand the removal of the INEC chairman over political or sectarian interests should come out boldly. Otherwise, the ploy has died naturally,\u201d Hayab said.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The statement further queried whether the demand implied that no other religion, aside Islam, should produce an INEC chairman, adding that the critical issue Nigerians should focus on is the competence of Professor Amupitan, not his faith.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Northern CAN commended President Bola Tinubu for what it described as a deliberate effort to promote national unity by appointing a Christian as INEC chairman despite being a Muslim himself.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u00a0The association said the move reflected statesmanship and inclusivity, likening it to the precedent under former President Goodluck Jonathan, who retained a northern Muslim as INEC chairman against widespread pressure at the time.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Christian body advised the Shariah Council to openly identify any individual or group behind the campaign against the INEC chairman, insisting that religious platforms must not be used as \u201ccheap cover\u201d to pursue political interests or intimidate public officials.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While urging Amupitan not to be distracted by the controversy, Northern CAN called on him to remain focused on his constitutional mandate of conducting free, fair and credible elections.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cHe should concentrate on doing the right thing for Nigerians and not behave like others who openly manipulated elections in the past and now seek relevance through religious blackmail,\u201d the statement added.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The body\u00a0 also expressed concern over what it described as emerging indications of a coordinated political agenda ahead of the 2027 and\u00a0 pointed to recent remarks by the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, who warned that the All Progressives Congress (APC) could face electoral defeat if it abandons a Northern Muslim\u2013Muslim ticket in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu\u2019s re-election bid.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Christian body, such comments, when considered alongside sustained attacks on a Christian INEC chairman, raise serious questions about whether there is a deliberate attempt to weaken Christian participation and erode confidence in the nation\u2019s political and electoral process.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Christian body warned that framing national political survival strictly along religious lines, rather than competence, equity and national cohesion, could deepen divisions and threaten the country\u2019s fragile unity.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cNigeria\u2019s democracy cannot be held hostage to religious calculations,\u201d the statement said, adding that any attempt to restrict political leadership to one faith or region would undermine democratic values and national stability.<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Oscar Okhifo The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned the call by the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) seeking the removal of the Chairman of the&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":81574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-125305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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