Fallout From Osun Guber Polls: MURIC Blames INEC Chairman For Oyebanji’s Loss, Says He Is Anti-Muslim

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Muric’s allegation has been described by not a few people, especially those on ground in Osun, as a bundle of lies and mischief

The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, on Sunday , August 16, 2026, accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of disenfranchising  thousands of eligible  Muslim women voters during Saturday’s off-circle Governorship polls in Osun state.

The INEC, early on Sunday, declared Governor Ademola Adeleke, the winner of the election after polling a total of 511,067 votes.

His closest rival, APC’s Bola Oyebamiji, garnered 444,815 votes to place second.

But, reacting after the announcement of the outcome of the election, MURIC, in a statement signed by Prof Ishaq Akintola, its Executive Secretary, expressed disappointment that thousands of Hijab-wearing  Muslim voters were, allegedly, not allowed to exercise their constitutional responsibilities. An allegation which has been denied by many, especially, those on the ground as a bundle of lies and mischief.

But Akintola domiciled the blame of  the outcome of the polls on the alleged action of INEC, which, according to him prevented thousands of Muslim women voters from casting their votes for their prefered candidate.

MURIC, while strongly condemning the development, described it as ” a targeted intimidation”

The Muslim advocacy group alleged that the action of the INEC was deliberate, orchestrated and primarily  aimed at coercing, humiliating and disenfranchising eligible Muslim voters.

MURIC stated that it is not all that surprised at the conduct of INEC ,as its Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, has been “a no-respecter of Nigerian Muslims going by his well documented anti-Muslim antecedents.

Referencing the INEC Chairman’s alleged role in authoring an eighty-page legal brief that led to the coming of United States America, USA, soldiers to Nigeria, MURIC insisted Amupitan cannot be trusted by Muslims.

The body maintained that it has verifiable evidence to support its allegations against the electoral umpire, concerning its deliberate acts of disenfranchising eligible Muslim women voters.

“Thousands of Muslim women who wore hijab were disallowed from voting in the Osun gubernatorial election which took place yesterday (Saturday), 15th, August ,2026. The incident was widespread.

“It was targeted coercion, humiliation, and disenfranchisement. A few weak and uninformed Muslim women in hijab were allowed only after surrendering by removing their hijabs.

“We strongly condemn this massive disenfranchisement. But we can’t but connect it to failure of INEC leadership to properly educate and instruct its regular and ad hoc staff on freedom of religion.

“This can only be targeted intimidation . The head of INEC himself has no respect for Nigerian Muslims, and he had been enmeshed in the Christian genocide scandal over which he was accused of writing an 80-page legal brief which brought American soldiers to Nigeria.

“We have concrete and incontrovertible evidence for our allegation. We have a video clip of an hijab-clad Muslim woman who complained bitterly about how she was disallowed from voting on account of hijab she wore”, Akintola stated

MURIC, therefore, reiterated its earlier call for the removal of Prof Amupitan as the INEC Chairman, warning that Muslims should not be blamed for what negative consequences that trail the tendency to strip Muslim women of their hijabs.

“MURIC reiterates its call for the removal of Prof Joash Amupitan as Head of INEC. We contend that the intimidation of Muslim women in hijab during yesterday’s election in Osun State had a direct impact on the outcome of the election .

“We warn that worse treatments are in the offing for Muslim voters , throughout the country in the 2027 general elections.

“We, therefore, alert the  Federal Government over such plans by Amupitan and his team of Muslim haters. Nobody should blame Muslims if they react to the stripping of their women in public in future elections”, Akintola warned .