Protesters confront INEC chairman Amupitan outside Chatham House
Nigerians protesting against alleged irregularities in the country’s electoral system on Thursday confronted the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, outside Chatham House in London.
Amupitan had visited the British think tank to participate in a panel discussion titled, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot”.
After the session, protesters surrounded a black vehicle conveying the INEC chairman, demanding that he address their concerns over alleged irregularities in the voter register ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Videos circulating on social media showed the demonstrators waving placards, recording the encounter and shouting at the commission’s chairman as he remained inside the vehicle.
“Why are you running? Come out and talk to us. Call police for us. He needs to come out and talk to us. We don’t want to harm him. Shame on you,” some of the protesters were heard shouting.
One of the demonstrators held a placard bearing the inscription, “Amupitan, no more election fraud”. The INEC chairman, however, did not respond audibly to the protesters.
The confrontation comes amid scrutiny of the commission following the appearance of suspected AI-generated photographs in its preliminary voter register last month. INEC said it traced the images to alleged misconduct by some registration officers with access to its portal.
Speaking during the Chatham House panel, Amupitan acknowledged that glitches in the transmission of results during the 2023 general elections had eroded public confidence in the commission. He, however, said INEC had taken steps to ensure a smooth and efficient conduct of the 2027 elections.
