Hundreds of youths in Aiyetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, on Monday marched through the community in a show of support for the Independent National Electoral Commission and its chairman, Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN).
The protesters, drawn from youth and civil society groups, carried placards and rode in a convoy of motorcycles, declaring that allegations circulating against Amupitan were politically motivated and designed to destabilise the electoral body.
Inscriptions on the placards included “Enemies of Fairness, Beware!” and “Fair Elections Start with Amupitan.”
A youth leader identified as Segun, addressing the crowd, said the protesters had come to defend both the man and the institution he leads.
“We are here to send a clear message: the sanctity of INEC must be protected. Prof. Amupitan is a man of integrity and a proud son of this land. Any attempt to unjustly tarnish his image is a direct attack on democracy,” he said.
The youths dismissed the allegations against the chairman as sponsored propaganda, saying his legal background and track record made him well placed to strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
The protest comes amid a national debate over Amupitan’s appointment and growing calls from some quarters for his removal.
INEC has pushed back against those calls, describing them as unconstitutional.
In a statement by its Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, the commission said its leadership structure was governed by Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
It added that any attempt to remove its chairman outside that framework was a threat to its independence.
INEC also dismissed allegations of bias, saying it continued to recognise multiple political parties and remained committed to free and credible elections.
On the planned voter revalidation exercise, it described the process as routine, aimed at sanitising the voter register and improving the integrity of electoral data.
The development comes as scrutiny of the commission intensifies ahead of off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
