The intense scrutiny surrounding the Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, has transcended the boundaries of secular politics. It has now landed heavily at the altar of the Christ Apostolic Church, one of Nigeria’s most historic and revered indigenous Pentecostal institutions.
For months, the civic space has been fractured by heated debates over Amupitan’s alleged political inclinations, fueled by disputed social media posts that his office categorically denies as a smear campaign. Yet, in a nation where political skepticism runs deep, the true test for the Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria will not be fought in the court of public relations. It will be fought at the ballot box.
If Amupitan fails to deliver a transparent, free and fair election, the fallout will extend far beyond a standard constitutional crisis. A compromised election would mean that Amupitan has not just failed the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He will have deeply compromised the sacred spiritual legacy of Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola and the very fabric of the Christ Apostolic Church.
To understand the gravity of Amupitan’s position, one must look at his dual identity. He is not just a secular public servant. He is an ordained pastor within the CAC English Assembly and the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University. Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola, the foundational revivalist of the CAC, built a spiritual legacy anchored on absolute integrity, holiness, selflessness and an unshakeable fear of God. JABU was founded to instill these exact virtues, molding leaders who would serve as the moral conscience of a fractured nation.
When a high-ranking pastor and university chancellor steps into the role of Nigeria’s chief electoral umpire, he carries the spiritual weight of that entire heritage on his shoulders. The secular world expects politicians to be partisan. But it expects a man of God to hold the line for truth. If the upcoming election is rigged or manipulated under Amupitan’s watch, the damage to the reputation of the CAC and the memory of Apostle Babalola would be catastrophic and generational. It would signal to millions of Nigerians that even the highest spiritual titles can be subverted for political convenience.
As public anxiety mounts, the silence from the CAC leadership is becoming increasingly deafening. In a healthy democracy, religious bodies serve as the ultimate moral check on power. When one of their own is placed in a position of such immense public temptation, the church cannot afford to be a passive bystander. The CAC body needs to proactively bring Professor Amupitan to order. Church leadership must privately and publicly hold him accountable to the biblical standards of justice and truth, reminding him that his primary allegiance is to God, not to any political benefactor or president.
If the CAC fails to robustly counsel, warn and hold Amupitan to the highest standards of transparency, they risk sending a dangerous signal to the public. Continued passivity in the face of growing public concern will inevitably lead to a damning conclusion. That conclusion is that the church leadership is complicit, or at the very least, content to enjoy the proximity to state power at the expense of their foundational values.
Professor Amupitan stands at a historic crossroads. He has the opportunity to leverage his legal expertise and spiritual grounding to give Nigeria the cleanest election in its history, cementing his name as a man of true honor. But if the process falls apart, the stain will not wash off easily. He will have compromised a national democracy, tarnished the private university he leads, fractured the trust of the CAC congregation and traded a legendary spiritual inheritance for a fleeting political season.
For the sake of Nigeria, and for the sake of Apostle Babalola’s enduring legacy, the CAC must speak truth to power, starting with the power inside their own house.
Leave a comment