INEC chairman confronted by angry diaspora protesters in London — vehicle surrounded at Chatham House over “AI photos” in voter register
Photo: Protesters surround the vehicle conveying INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan outside Chatham House, London, 12 Nov 2026 · Video: Ọmọọba Adélẹyẹ via Naija News (VIDEO STILL)
Prof. Joash Amupitan was mobbed by Nigerian protesters outside Chatham House as he arrived for a dialogue on the 2027 elections — and the trigger is the voter register itself.
Key points
- INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan was confronted by angry Nigerian protesters outside Chatham House in London on Thursday, as he arrived for a dialogue on the 2027 elections.
- Demonstrators surrounded the vehicle conveying him, demanding his resignation over alleged irregularities in the preliminary voters' register — duplicate entries, suspected AI-generated photographs, deceased voters and allegedly fake polling units. Those are the protesters' allegations, not established findings.
- INEC says it removed 1,608,660 invalid registrations and 873 deceased voters' records, and has fixed a nationwide mock accreditation exercise for 28 November 2026.
INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan was confronted by angry Nigerian protesters outside Chatham House in London on Thursday, 12 November, as he arrived for a high-level dialogue on Nigeria's preparations for the 2027 elections, organised with the Kimpact Development Initiative under the theme “Nigeria's 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot”.
Demonstrators surrounded the vehicle conveying him as he departed, demanding his resignation and greater transparency over alleged irregularities in the preliminary voters' register — duplicate entries, suspected AI-generated photographs, deceased voters and allegedly fake polling units. Some accused INEC of favouring President Bola Tinubu and the APC. Those are the protesters' allegations, not independently established findings.
Speaking at the dialogue, Amupitan acknowledged that technical glitches in the 2023 election damaged public confidence and said INEC had introduced measures to prevent inaccurate results appearing on the IReV portal in 2027.
INEC has disclosed it removed 1,608,660 invalid registrations and 873 deceased voters' records, identified 54 people for possible prosecution, and fixed a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise for 28 November 2026. The final voters' register is expected on 15 December 2026.
The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for 16 January 2027; governorship and State Assembly elections follow on 6 February 2027.
Why this matters
The man running Nigeria's next election, mobbed by his own country's diaspora on the steps of Britain's most famous policy institute — over AI-generated photos in the voter register, 65 days before the vote.
Latest developments
First published 13 Nov 2026, 08:37 WAT.
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Sources
- Naija News — INEC chairman Amupitan blocked by angry protesters in London (13 Nov 2026)
- Media Today — INEC chairman Amupitan faces angry diaspora protesters in London (13 Nov 2026)
- Nexa — Nigerian diaspora protesters surround INEC chairman's vehicle outside Chatham House (13 Nov 2026)
- Akelicious — Nigerians protest against INEC chairman Amupitan in London (13 Nov 2026)
The protest, the location and Amupitan's remarks are verified across several outlets. The protesters' claims about AI photos, fake polling units and pro-APC bias are allegations, not established findings. INEC's cleanup figures (1,608,660 invalid records removed, 54 people identified for prosecution) are the commission's own disclosures.