- MURIC said thousands of Muslim women in hijab were stopped from voting during the August 15 Osun governorship election
- The civil liberties group blamed INEC chairman Professor Joash Amupitan, calling for his removal over the incident
- MURIC warned that Muslim voters across Nigeria face worse treatment in the 2027 general elections if the situation is not addressed
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Osogbo, Osun state – The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has held the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) responsible for the widespread barring of hijab-wearing Muslim women from casting their votes during the Osun state governorship election held on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
MURIC’s executive director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, detailed the allegations in a statement released on Sunday, August 16, 2026, and obtained by Legit.ng, describing the incidents as deliberate and targeted.
Source: Twitter
“Thousands of Muslim women who wore hijab were disallowed from voting in the Osun gubernatorial election which took place yesterday, 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 hijab,” Akintola said.
MURIC calls for INEC chairman’s removal
The organisation directed much of its criticism at INEC‘s chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, accusing him of failing to properly train both regular and ad hoc electoral staff on religious freedom. MURIC alleged that Amupitan had previously been linked to a controversy involving an 80-page legal brief connected to what the group described as a “Christian genocide scandal.”
“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,” Akintola stated.
The group said it holds video evidence of at least one hijab-clad woman who recorded her experience of being denied the right to vote on account of her dress.
Source: Twitter
MURIC alerts federal government
MURIC went further to put the federal government on notice, warning that INEC under Amupitan’s leadership is laying the groundwork for broader disenfranchisement of Muslim voters in the 2027 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. No civilised society should encourage the public humiliation of women,” the statement read.
The organisation framed the episode as a violation of constitutionally guaranteed rights, concluding that INEC bore direct responsibility for what it called an infringement on the fundamental human rights of Muslim women.
Read more on Osun election 2026
Osun election 2026: Tinubu calls Adeleke
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that President Bola Tinubu’s special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, released a State House press statement, confirming that the president placed a personal call to Governor Ademola Adeleke to felicitate with him following the Osun election’s outcome.
Beyond the congratulations, Tinubu used the statement to lay out expectations for Adeleke’s second term. He urged the governor to prioritise unity and work toward the economic and social development of the state, irrespective of how residents voted during the election.
Source: Legit.ng