The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, was confronted by Nigerian protesters outside Chatham House in London on Thursday, with demonstrators demanding answers over alleged irregularities in the country’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The protesters surrounded a black vehicle conveying the INEC chairman as he departed the British think tank, where he had participated in a panel discussion on Nigeria’s electoral future.
In videos circulating on social media, the demonstrators were seen waving placards, recording the encounter and chanting angrily as they demanded that Amupitan come out of the vehicle to address their concerns.
“Why are you running? Come out and talk to us,” some of the protesters shouted.
“Call police for us. He needs to come out and talk to us, we don’t want to harm him. Shame on you.”
One of the placards displayed during the protest read: “Amupitan, no more election fraud”.
Amupitan, however, remained inside the vehicle and did not make any audible response to the protesters as they continued to surround the car and press their demands.
The INEC chairman was at Chatham House to participate in a panel titled “Nigeria’s 2027 elections: Democratic trajectory and regional stability beyond the ballot”.
The confrontation comes amid growing scrutiny of the electoral commission following controversy over suspected AI-generated photographs discovered in its preliminary voter register last month.
INEC had said it traced the photographs to alleged misconduct by some registration officers who had access to its registration portal.
Speaking during the Chatham House discussion, Amupitan acknowledged that technical glitches experienced during the transmission of results in the 2023 general elections had undermined public confidence in the commission.
He, however, said INEC had taken measures to ensure a smooth and efficient conduct of the 2027 elections.
