By Shu’aibu Usman Leman_
Nigeria proclaims itself a secular republic, yet religion continues to dominate the national imagination and shape political judgement. The recent calls for the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, serve as a troubling reminder that public institutions in Nigeria are often assessed less by performance and more by the perceived faith of those who lead them. This tendency poses a direct threat to the stability and credibility of our democratic order.
At the heart of this controversy lies a familiar paradox. While the Constitution clearly affirms the separation of religion and state, public discourse remains deeply infused with religious sentiment. Matters that ought to be resolved through institutional procedures and objective scrutiny frequently devolve into emotionally charged contests of identity, belief and communal suspicion. In the process, confidence in national institutions is eroded even before any substantive inquiry begins.