The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is facing strong criticism from Muslim group over alleged restrictions placed on female voters wearing hijab at some polling units during Saturday’s governorship election.
The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, condemned the incident in a statement released Sunday, calling it “a direct assault on religious freedom and constitutional rights.”
According to the MURIC Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, reports were received from several polling units in Osogbo, Ilesa, and Iwo where female voters wearing hijab were allegedly asked to remove their headscarves for identification or were delayed for extended screening.
“We received disturbing reports that some ad-hoc INEC officials and security personnel insisted that Muslim women must remove their hijab before being allowed to vote,” Akintola said. “This is unacceptable in a democracy. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Hijab is part of the faith identity of Muslim women.”
MURIC alleged that the actions caused voter disenfranchisement and intimidation, with some women reportedly leaving the queues rather than complying.
”It was targeted coercion, humiliation and disenfranchisement. A few weak and uninformed Muslim women in hijab were allowed only after surrendering by removing their hijab.
“We strongly condemn this massive disenfranchisement. But we cannot but connect it to the 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.
“MURIC reiterates its call for the removal of Professor 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 (FG) 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. No civilised society should encourage the public humiliation of women.
”We blame INEC for this violation of Allah-given fundamental human rights of Muslim women.”The statement said