UK protesters against INEC chair were rented – Lawyer

Résumé détaillé

A UK-based Nigerian lawyer, Dayo Babalola, has alleged that protesters who demonstrated against INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan in London were paid. Read More:…

A United Kingdom-based Nigerian lawyer, Dayo Babalola, has alleged that some Nigerians who protested against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, outside Chatham House in London, were paid to stage the demonstration.

Babalola, who said he was physically present at the event on Thursday, also dismissed claims that the protesters represented Nigerians in the diaspora, describing them as a small group of between 10 and 15 individuals.

The lawyer, in a statement on Friday, described reports and videos circulating on social media about the incident as a gross misrepresentation of what transpired, insisting that the demonstrators did not reflect the views of Nigerians living in the United Kingdom or the wider diaspora community.

Amupitan had attended a Chatham House engagement titled, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot,” where he spoke on the country’s democratic future, the electoral process and preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Reports of the protest emerged after a group of demonstrators gathered outside the venue as the INEC chairman was leaving, reportedly blocking his vehicle and demanding that he address allegations of irregularities in the voters’ register.

The protesters were also reported to have called for his resignation, accusing the electoral commission of compromising its independence.

However, Babalola said the demonstration took place after the formal engagement and should not be presented as an interruption or disruption of the event.

“Some of those involved were wearing Peter Obi-branded memorabilia. The situation eventually attracted the attention of Chatham House security, and when the police were called, the individuals dispersed,” he said.

The lawyer alleged that he encountered some members of the group later on Jermyn Street, where he claimed to have witnessed a man wearing “New Democratic Congress” memorabilia paying them.

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