‘INEC Chair Sack Call Is Blackmail, Not Law’ – Prof Hon, SAN
At a time when public trust in electoral institutions is crucial to Nigeria’s democracy, constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Sebastine Hon, has firmly dismissed calls for the removal of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, describing them as political blackmail with no basis in law.
Responding to the Sharia Council of Nigeria’s demand for Amupitan’s sack over alleged bias, Prof. Hon said the call was “unguided, ridiculous and unconstitutional,” warning that it amounts to inviting President Bola Tinubu to breach the 1999 Constitution.
He stressed that the INEC Chairman can only be removed by the President with the support of a two-thirds majority of the Senate, and strictly on grounds of inability to perform official duties or misconduct.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the senior lawyer noted that none of the constitutional conditions for removal has been established against Amupitan.
He added that opinions expressed before assuming office do not qualify as grounds for removal and warned that yielding to such pressure would set a dangerous precedent.
Prof. Hon also recalled that Amupitan’s appointment was unanimously cleared by the National Council of State and confirmed by the Senate in 2025, with no objections raised during screening.
He urged the INEC Chairman to ignore the calls and instead allow the controversy to further strengthen his commitment to fairness, neutrality and justice.
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