Chatham House Protest: UK-Based Lawyer Alleges Political Sponsorship of Demonstrators Against Amupitan

A UK-based Nigerian lawyer, Otunba Dayo Babalola, has alleged that some individuals who confronted the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, outside Chatham House in London were paid to organise the protest.

Babalola, who said he witnessed the incident on Thursday, described the demonstrators as a group of between 10 and 15 people, rejecting suggestions that they represented Nigerians in the United Kingdom or the wider diaspora.

In a statement addressing the incident, the lawyer faulted accounts circulating on social media, describing them as a misrepresentation of what transpired.

He insisted that the protest, which took place as Amupitan departed the venue, was separate from the INEC chairman’s official engagement and did not disrupt the programme.

Amupitan had participated in a Chatham House discussion titled, Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot, during which he addressed electoral preparations, democratic development and Nigeria’s political future.

Reports indicated that the demonstrators blocked his vehicle and demanded answers over alleged irregularities in the voters’ register, while calling for his resignation over concerns about INEC’s independence.

However, Babalola maintained that the chairman successfully delivered his presentation, responded to questions and participated in the panel discussion before the protest occurred.

He further alleged that some of the demonstrators wore Peter Obi-branded memorabilia and that Chatham House security intervened before the police were contacted, causing the group to disperse.

The lawyer also claimed that he later encountered some of the protesters on Jermyn Street, where he allegedly witnessed a man wearing New Democratic Congress (NDC) memorabilia making payments to them.

Recounting the encounter, Babalola said the individuals recognised him and hurled insults at him.

He also disputed claims that the Chatham House engagement was poorly attended, stating that close to 200 people were physically present, while approximately 374 registered and participated online.

Babalola said his presence at the venue could be confirmed in videos circulating on social media, in which he was seen standing near the main entrance between approximately 2:22pm and 2:45pm.

While acknowledging the right of Nigerians to peaceful protest and to demand accountability from public officials, he warned against attributing the actions of a small group to the entire Nigerian diaspora.

He argued that political disagreements should not be used to promote misinformation or distort the circumstances surrounding public engagements.

The lawyer said his intervention was aimed at providing what he considered an accurate account of the incident and should not be interpreted as support for any political party.

The development comes amid growing public scrutiny of INEC’s preliminary voters’ register ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The commission recently announced the removal of 1,608,660 invalid registrations following its review of the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercise.

It also deleted 873 records of deceased persons, bringing the total number of removed records to 1,609,553.

INEC further disclosed that 54 individuals across 10 states had been identified over alleged registration infractions.

Babalola’s claim that some demonstrators were paid has not been independently verified, and the protesters have not been quoted responding to the allegation.