Lawyer Disputes Chatham House Protest Against INEC Chairman

A United Kingdom-based Nigerian lawyer, Otunba Dayo Babalola, has disputed reports of a protest against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, at Chatham House in London. Babalola, who claimed to have been physically present at the event, alleged that the protesters were paid agents and not representatives of Nigerians in the diaspora. He described the protesters as a small group of between 10 and 15 individuals.

The protest took place outside Chatham House after a formal engagement where Amupitan discussed Nigeria's democratic future, the electoral process, and preparations for the 2027 general elections. According to Babalola, the protesters did not disrupt Amupitan's participation in the event, and he made an insightful contribution during the engagement, responding to questions from participants. The event, titled "Nigeria's 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot," had close to 200 people physically present and about 374 registered participants online.

Babalola alleged that some of the demonstrators wore memorabilia bearing the name of Labour Party's 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi. He claimed that the situation attracted the attention of Chatham House security and that the demonstrators dispersed after the police were called. The lawyer also alleged that he later encountered some members of the group on Jermyn Street, where he claimed to have witnessed a man wearing New Democratic Congress (NDC) memorabilia making payments to them.

The lawyer disputed suggestions that the Chatham House engagement was poorly attended, claiming that the event had a significant turnout. He insisted that the protesters were outside the premises and did not take part in the official engagement. According to him, Amupitan was neither disgraced nor interrupted during the programme but fully discharged his responsibilities as a panelist.

Babalola cautioned against presenting the actions of a few individuals as the position of the entire Nigerian diaspora. He said political disagreements should not become an excuse for misinformation, sensationalism, or deliberate distortion of events. The lawyer added that his intervention was intended to correct what he considered misleading accounts of the incident and not to defend any political party.

The controversy comes amid scrutiny of INEC's preliminary voters' register ahead of the 2027 general elections. The commission had disclosed that it removed 1,608,660 invalid registrations following a review of the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercise. It also deleted 873 records of deceased persons, bringing the total number of deleted records to 1,609,533.

INEC further identified 54 persons across 10 states over alleged registration infractions. The commission's efforts aim to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. Babalola's statement highlights the need for accurate information and the importance of verifying reports before dissemination. The incident has sparked a debate about the role of protests in democratic processes and the importance of fact-based reporting.

Key points

• The lawyer alleged that the protesters were paid agents and not representatives of Nigerians in the diaspora.
• The protest did not disrupt Amupitan's participation in the event, and he made an insightful contribution during the engagement.
• INEC removed 1,608,660 invalid registrations and deleted 873 records of deceased persons from the voters' register.