The Presidency has firmly shut down calls for the removal of INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan, with President Bola Tinubu reportedly insisting that the embattled legal scholar remains the only person who will conduct the 2027 presidential election. Despite a wave of protests and allegations linking Amupitan to partisan digital activity, the President has dismissed the backlash as a series of political distractions designed to undermine a constitutionally independent office.
Aso Rock sources indicate that Tinubu is completely unmoved by the opposition’s outcry, viewing Amupitan’s legal mastery as essential for the stability of the upcoming polls. The President has reportedly told close aides that he is indifferent to the noise from critics, reinforcing the Chairman’s position with a “blanket guarantee” that his job is secure through the 2027 cycle. This executive backing has allowed Amupitan to remain defiant, as he continues to move forward with election preparations while ignoring demands for his resignation.
Bolstered by this high-level support, Amupitan has already begun laying the groundwork for the 2027 vote, even releasing an official timetable that fixes the presidential election for February 20, 2027. While opposition groups like the ADC and PDP argue that the President’s stance makes the future results questionable before a single ballot is cast, the Chairman has doubled down on his commitment to stay, promising that his administration will deliver the most transparent election in Nigeria’s history.
