NORTHERN MINORITIES GROUP CAUTIONS AGAINST ETHNICISATION OF INEC CHAIRMAN NOMINATION

The Northern Nigeria Minorities Group has condemned what it described as attempts by certain individuals and groups to ethnicise the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission. In a statement issued in Abuja and signed by its Convener, Chief Jacob Edi, the group described the criticisms trailing the nomination as unwarranted, divisive, and dangerous to national cohesion.

Edi noted that Professor Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, hails from the Okun ethnic group in Kogi State, one of the minority nationalities in Northern Nigeria. He emphasised that the North comprises 19 states with diverse ethnic and cultural identities, none superior to another by tribe, tongue, or faith. “We are deeply concerned by the spate of commentaries and social media tirades portraying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s nomination of Professor Amupitan as an act of ethnic bias. Nothing could be farther from the truth,” the statement read.

According to the group, this marks the first time in 65 years, since Nigeria established a statutory electoral commission in 1959, that a northern minority has been appointed to lead it. The group recalled that northern minorities had never questioned previous appointments, even when individuals from the North West and North East held the position for more than 15 years. Edi urged Nigerians to recognise northern minorities as equal stakeholders in the Nigerian project, not mere demographic fillers, stressing that inclusivity strengthens democracy.

The statement also condemned what it called an old and dangerous trend that began during the Obasanjo administration, when appointments of northern minorities were dismissed as not northern enough. “The North is not defined by ethnicity but by geography — broad, inclusive, and inherently multi-ethnic. Those promoting this narrow, toxic narrative are the real enemies of national unity,” the group warned.

Outlining its position, the NNMG stated that reducing leadership choices to ethnic arithmetic undermines both the region and the nation. It added that such divisive thinking is outdated and contrary to modern governance ideals, and that competence, integrity, and capacity, not ethnicity, must guide national appointments.

The group described Professor Amupitan’s nomination as a milestone for equity, meritocracy, and inclusivity, commending President Tinubu for recognising the North’s diversity and ensuring all segments of the federation feel a sense of belonging. “The time for ethnic arithmetic is over. This is the era of competence, fairness, and national responsibility,” the statement concluded. “Northern minorities are not just minorities — together, we are the stabilising force of this federation and true believers in Nigeria’s unity and progress.”