The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed reports claiming that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, is preparing to resign, describing the information circulating on social media as false and fabricated.
The commission issued the clarification on Saturday through its official X account, urging Nigerians to disregard the report and avoid spreading unverified information.
INEC said the purported resignation claim was “FALSE, FABRICATED AND MISLEADING”.
It urged members of the public to rely on its official communication channels for accurate information about the commission and its leadership.
The denial comes amid mounting public scrutiny of Amupitan’s leadership over controversies surrounding the preliminary voters’ register ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On November 9, the INEC chairman disclosed that the commission had removed 1,608,660 invalid registrations from the preliminary voters’ register following a review of entries generated during the 2025 and 2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercises.
He also revealed that 54 individuals across 10 states had been identified over alleged registration irregularities and could face disciplinary action, including prosecution.
The controversy has generated protests and demands for accountability, particularly over allegations of multiple registrations, questionable photographs and other suspected irregularities in the voters’ register.
The tension followed Amupitan to London on Thursday, where protesters confronted his vehicle outside Chatham House, demanding his resignation.
The protesters reportedly surrounded his vehicle as he departed an engagement on Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 elections.
At the Chatham House event, Amupitan acknowledged that controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections had significantly damaged public confidence in INEC.
He, however, appealed to Nigerians to trust his leadership, insisting that the commission was introducing measures to address previous shortcomings.
The chairman also announced a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise scheduled for November 28 to test improvements to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and electronic transmission of election results.
He said INEC had introduced technical safeguards to prevent inaccurate polling unit results and figures indicating over-voting from being uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal.
Nigeria’s 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6.
