Protesters heckle INEC chairman Amupitan in London; he denies running pro-APC X account

Protesters confronted the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, in London on Thursday, 12 November 2026.
What happened
Amupitan was in London to speak at a panel on Nigeria's preparations for the 2027 elections, hosted by Chatham House and the Kimpact Development Initiative. Nigerian diaspora activists who had mobilised on social media gathered outside the venue and reportedly surrounded his vehicle, accusing the commission of favouring President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and demanding his resignation. They cited duplicate entries and AI-generated images in the preliminary voters' register and alleged fake polling units.
Amupitan's response
At the panel, Amupitan pledged to turn down any political or diplomatic appointment after leaving INEC, saying he wanted to demonstrate his impartiality, and said the commission was introducing technical safeguards. INEC has said it removed 1.6 million invalid records from the register, including entries with manipulated images, and flagged officials in 10 states. Amupitan also again denied operating an X account that had allegedly posted support for the APC during the 2023 elections, saying he had never had an X account and that it was never linked to his email. INEC said in April that the claims were fabricated and that fake accounts had been created in his name.
Background
At the same event, Amupitan said INEC would obey the final court ruling on Atiku Abubakar's candidacy. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.
- Protesters demanded Amupitan's resignation.
- He pledged to refuse post-tenure appointments.
- He denies running a pro-APC X account.


