CSMN Urges Caution Over Calls for INEC Chairman’s Resignation, Warns Against Religious Tension

The Christian Social Movement of Nigeria (CSMN) has cautioned against actions and statements capable of worsening Nigeria’s fragile socio-political climate, following a call by the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) for the resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan.

In a statement signed by its Chairman of the Governing Council, Elder Sunday Oibe, and Chief Executive Officer, Bosun Emmanuel, the group expressed concern over remarks credited to the SCSN, which described Prof. Amupitan as “a threat to the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process” and warned that Muslims would not recognise elections conducted under his leadership.

The SCSN position was reportedly articulated in January during its 2026 Annual Pre-Ramadan Lecture and General Assembly in Abuja, themed “Nigeria’s Future: Faith, Justice, and Leadership.” The comments followed earlier criticisms in December 2025 by a coalition of 40 Islamic organisations under the Zamfara State Muslims League, which defended the constitutional recognition of Shari’ah within Nigeria’s plural legal system.

CSMN stated that its intervention was not in defence of the Federal Government or any political party, but a call for restraint and equity, warning that religion has increasingly been deployed in ways that fuel division and instability in the country.

The group recalled past appointments of INEC chairmen, noting that religious affiliation did not previously provoke threats of election boycotts. It cited the appointment of Prof. Attahiru Jega, a Muslim, by former President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, as well as the appointment of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, also a Muslim, by former President Muhammadu Buhari. According to CSMN, similar objections were not raised in those instances.

The movement questioned whether the opposition to Prof. Amupitan’s appointment would have arisen had he been a northern Muslim, asserting that the controversy appeared rooted more in religious identity than professional conduct.

Addressing allegations linked to Prof. Amupitan’s past legal opinion on reports of violence against Christians, CSMN described the matter as inconsequential and comparable to earlier international advocacy by the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding religious violence in Nigeria.

CSMN further criticised what it described as selective outrage, pointing to past appointments of Muslim leaders to key national institutions without opposition from Christian groups. Examples cited included Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Chairman of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and former Minister of Communications, Isa Ibrahim Pantami, both of whom faced public controversy over religious statements during their tenure in public office.

On the broader debate around Shari’ah, the group distinguished between Shari’ah personal law, which it acknowledged as constitutionally recognised, and Shari’ah criminal law, which it argued lacks national consensus and constitutional legitimacy. CSMN referenced opinions from prominent legal scholars, including Prof. Ben Nwabueze, former Chief Justice Mohammed Bello, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria Solomon Asemota, who have questioned the constitutionality of Shari’ah criminal law within Nigeria’s secular framework.

The group warned that deepening religious imbalance could intensify sectarian violence and urged Nigerians to focus on national healing. It called for either the decommissioning of the 1999 Constitution or a return to the 1963 Republican Constitution, arguing that constitutional reform would better guarantee justice and equality for all citizens.

CSMN concluded by encouraging the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria to join broader calls for constitutional reform rather than pursue demands that, in its view, risk inflaming religious intolerance.