Nigerian diaspora activists on Thursday, November 12, 2026, surrounded the vehicle conveying Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, outside Chatham House in London, demanding his immediate resignation over allegations of bias and irregularities in the voters’ register.
The protesters blocked the black vehicle for several minutes as Amupitan attempted to leave the venue after participating in a public discussion on Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The tense confrontation forced Chatham House officials and security personnel to intervene before a path could be cleared for the vehicle to move.
Amupitan had attended a panel discussion organised by Chatham House in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative. The event was titled Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.
During the discussion, the INEC chairman urged Nigerians to trust his leadership, citing the off cycle governorship elections in Anambra, Osun and Ekiti states, as well as Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections and several by elections conducted under his watch.
He maintained that the commission had recorded improvements in election management, with observers particularly noting progress in the Osun governorship election.
Amupitan also insisted that his loyalty was to the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act, not any political party or individual.
In an apparent effort to address concerns about his neutrality, he promised not to accept any political or diplomatic appointment after leaving office as INEC chairman.
The electoral chief acknowledged that the 2023 general election had damaged public confidence in the commission, admitting that the experience created serious concerns about the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
He subsequently announced that INEC would conduct a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise on November 28, 2026, to test its electoral technology and identify possible weaknesses ahead of the 2027 elections.
He further disclosed that new technical measures were being introduced to prevent inaccurate results and cases of over voting from appearing on the INEC Result Viewing Portal.
However, his assurances failed to calm demonstrators waiting outside the London venue.
The protesters accused INEC of working in favour of President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress, while describing the electoral commission as a criminal organisation.
They demanded Amupitan’s immediate removal, accusing INEC of allowing duplicate entries and artificial intelligence generated photographs into the preliminary voters’ register, as well as secretly creating polling units allegedly intended to rig the 2027 general election in favour of Tinubu and the ruling APC.
Video footage from the protest showed demonstrators surrounding the chairman’s vehicle, pressing papers against its windows and bodywork while shouting at him to come out and address their concerns.
Some protesters called him a criminal, an evil man and a wicked man as the confrontation intensified.
A woman wearing a blue jacket was also seen addressing the crowd near the vehicle as demonstrators continued demanding answers from the INEC chairman.
The protest continued for several minutes before security personnel intervened, cleared the surrounding area and allowed the vehicle to leave.
The London confrontation is the latest in a series of protests against Amupitan, who assumed office in October 2025.
Demonstrations in Nigeria and the United Kingdom have previously called for his removal, with critics questioning his impartiality and raising concerns about difficulties surrounding the collection of permanent voter cards.
The controversy has also been fuelled by allegations of irregularities in INEC’s preliminary voters’ register, including suspected duplicate registrations, manipulated photographs and questionable entries.
INEC, however, has maintained that it is addressing the problems. Before Amupitan’s London visit, the commission disclosed that it had removed 1.6 million invalid registration records, including entries containing manipulated images suspected to have been generated using artificial intelligence.
Despite the chairman’s assurances in London, the protest highlights the growing pressure on INEC to demonstrate its independence and restore public confidence before the 2027 general elections.
With political tensions rising, Nigerians are demanding more than promises, insisting that the commission must prove its neutrality through transparent electoral preparations and credible results.
