Lawyer Alleges UK Protesters Against INEC Chairman Were Paid

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

Babalola, who said he witnessed the incident on Thursday, described the protesters as a small group of between 10 and 15 individuals, insisting that they did not represent the views of Nigerians living in the UK or the wider diaspora community.

In a statement on Friday, the lawyer dismissed videos and reports circulating on social media about the demonstration, describing them as a misrepresentation of what transpired.

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

The protest occurred after the engagement as the INEC chairman was leaving the venue. Demonstrators reportedly surrounded his vehicle, demanding that he address allegations of irregularities in the voters' register and calling for his resignation.

However, Babalola maintained that the demonstration took place after the formal programme and should not be portrayed as an interruption of the event.

He said some protesters wore clothing bearing the branding of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, adding that the situation attracted the attention of Chatham House security before the police were called, prompting the demonstrators to disperse.

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

According to him, the individuals insulted him after recognising him, prompting him to make a sarcastic remark about their alleged payment.

Babalola also challenged claims that Amupitan's engagement was poorly attended, saying nearly 200 people, mostly Nigerians, were physically present at the venue.

He added that approximately 374 participants registered and joined the programme online, describing the attendance as evidence of considerable interest in the discussion.

The lawyer insisted that Amupitan was neither disgraced nor interrupted during the engagement, noting that he delivered his presentation, answered questions and participated fully in the panel discussion.

While acknowledging the right of Nigerians to protest against public officeholders and express political opinions, Babalola cautioned against presenting the actions of a few individuals as the position of the entire Nigerian diaspora.

He said his intervention was intended to correct what he considered misleading accounts of the incident rather than defend any political party.

The protest comes amid growing scrutiny of INEC's preliminary voters' register ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The commission recently announced the removal of 1,608,660 invalid registrations and 873 records belonging to deceased persons following a review of its 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercise. It also identified 54 individuals across 10 states over alleged registration irregularities.