The Northern Nigeria Minorities Group (NNMG) has cautioned against attempts to ethnicise the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing such actions as divisive and harmful to national unity.
In a statement signed by its Convener, Chief Jacob Edi, the group expressed concern over what it called ‘ongoing efforts by certain individuals and interest groups to ethnicise’ Professor Amupitan’s appointment. It noted that the nominee hails from the Okun ethnic nationality in Kogi State, one of the minority groups in Northern Nigeria.
NNMG condemned recent social media attacks and commentaries by some ‘self-styled northern voices’ accusing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of ethnic bias in the appointment, insisting such claims were baseless.
‘Nothing could be further from the truth,’ the statement read. ‘This is the first time in 65 years since the establishment of a statutory electoral commission in 1959 that a northern minority has been appointed to lead it.’
The group recalled that in past administrations, no northern minority had opposed the appointment of individuals, mostly from the North West and North East, to head the electoral body for several consecutive years.
NNMG urged Nigerians to acknowledge that northern minorities are equal stakeholders in the Nigerian project and should not be subjected to ridicule or suspicion when entrusted with national leadership roles.
‘We recall that this unfortunate trend of delegitimising northern minority appointments gained traction during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, when any appointment extended to a northern minority was derisively dismissed as ‘not northern enough,” the group said. ‘The current ethnicisation of Professor Amupitan’s appointment is a direct continuation of that ugly and retrogressive trend, and it must stop.’
The NNMG stressed that the North is not defined by ethnicity but by its geographical breadth and diversity, describing those promoting ethnic-based criticism as ‘enemies of national unity and progress.’
It expressed concern that some individuals in the region still perceive northern minorities as mere demographic fillers ‘unworthy of the privileges and recognition that come with our place in the federation.’
‘Such thinking is antiquated, divisive, and inimical to the spirit of modern governance,’ the statement added. ‘After 65 years of independence, our guiding principle should be competence, integrity, and capacity, not parochial sentiments that have stunted our national growth.’
The group described Professor Amupitan’s nomination as a bold step toward inclusivity, equity, and meritocracy, commending President Tinubu for recognizing the North’s diversity and giving all constituent groups a sense of belonging in his appointments.
It further warned against attempts to polarise the country along ethnic or sectional lines, calling on political actors, commentators, and citizens to rise above identity politics and focus on building strong institutions that function effectively regardless of who leads them.
‘The time for ethnic arithmetic is over,’ the NNMG declared. ‘The era of competence, fairness, and national responsibility must begin in earnest.’
Chief Edi reaffirmed that northern minorities remain a stabilising force in the federation, saying: ‘When placed together, we are not just ‘minorities’; we are the real majority that believes in the unity and progress of Nigeria.’