The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed reports circulating on social media that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, is planning to resign.
The commission described the claim, which was accompanied by an image, as false, fabricated and misleading.
In a statement posted on its official X account on Saturday, INEC urged Nigerians to disregard the report and refrain from spreading unverified information.
“The claim is FALSE, FABRICATED AND MISLEADING,” the commission declared.
It advised members of the public to rely on its official communication channels for accurate information about its activities and leadership.
The resignation rumour comes amid mounting pressure on Amupitan over controversies surrounding the preliminary voters’ register ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The INEC chairman had come under criticism following revelations that the commission discovered millions of questionable entries during its review of the register.
On November 9, Amupitan disclosed that INEC had removed 1,608,660 invalid registrations identified from the 2025 and 2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercises.
He further revealed that 54 persons across 10 states had been identified over alleged registration irregularities and could face disciplinary action, including prosecution.
The revelations followed complaints about suspected multiple registrations, questionable photographs and other anomalies in the preliminary voters’ register.
The controversy escalated on Thursday when protesters confronted Amupitan outside Chatham House in London, demanding his resignation.
The protesters reportedly surrounded his vehicle as he departed an engagement on Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 general elections, with some insisting that he should come out and address their grievances.
During the Chatham House discussion, Amupitan admitted that controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections had significantly eroded public confidence in INEC.
He, however, appealed to Nigerians to trust his leadership, insisting that the commission was taking steps to correct past shortcomings and strengthen the electoral process.
As part of the preparations, he announced that INEC would conduct a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise on November 28 to test improvements to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and electronic transmission of results.
He also disclosed that the commission had introduced technical safeguards to prevent inaccurate polling unit results and figures suggesting over-voting from being uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal.
The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6.
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