Pat Utomi, a prominent Nigerian political economist, management expert, and public intellectual, has called on the Nigerian Bar Association to prevail on Joash Amupitan, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to resign over recent actions of the electoral commission.
Utomi made the call in a series of posts on X on Monday, warning that the country risks institutional collapse if legal professionals fail to act.
“If the NBA cannot prevail on Amupitan to resign, the fall of Nigeria through institutional and moral safety nets has become a free fall,” he said.
His call comes after INEC announced that it would no longer recognise the David-Mark leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He said history would hold lawyers and senior members of the legal profession accountable for what he described as silence in the face of injustice.
“History will hold all lawyers and Amupitan accountable in a way that will embarrass the children of their children,” he said.
The political economist also criticised religious leaders, traditional rulers, and senior lawyers for failing to speak out.
“Those who see truth and cloak themselves in silence… will someday dance naked in the marketplace,” he said.
Utomi urged stakeholders to speak up and defend democratic institutions, warning of long-term consequences.
“Speak now and redeem yourselves or forever live with the shame,” he said.
He further condemned what he described as the influence of money on judicial and legal processes.
“May the stone of love of money… which makes senior lawyers and some judges sacrifice the future of Nigeria… be rolled away,” he said.
Utomi’s comments come amid growing controversy over INEC’s recent decisions affecting political parties and the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general election
