Disgruntled Nigerian protesters confronted the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, outside Chatham House in London on Thursday. The demonstrators demanded for an audience concerning alleged irregularities in the voter register ahead of the 2027 polls.
Amupitan had just concluded speaking on a panel titled “Nigeria’s 2027 elections: Democratic trajectory and regional stability beyond the ballot” at the British think tank.
As he departed the premises, protesters encircled his black vehicle, waving placards and demanding that the INEC Chairman step out of his vehicle to address their grievances.
“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”, Protesters.
One of the placards displayed at the scene read, “Amupitan, no more election fraud”.
Despite the mounting pressure outside the car, the INEC chairman remained inside the vehicle and offered no audible response to the demonstrators.
The confrontation follows recent public scrutiny of the electoral body after suspected AI-generated photographs appeared in the preliminary voter register.
The commission subsequently traced the anomalies to alleged misconduct by certain registration officers who had access to its portal, stating that investigations are ongoing.
During his earlier panel session at Chatham House, Amupitan admitted that technical glitches experienced during the transmission of results in the 2023 elections eroded public trust in the commission.
He, however, revealed that the electoral body has taken steps to guarantee the smooth conduct of the 2027 general elections.
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