The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared its chairman, Joash Amupitan, of allegations linking him to partisan posts on social media, following a comprehensive forensic investigation.
The controversy had erupted after viral screenshots claimed that the INEC boss operated an X (formerly Twitter) account and posted politically suggestive content, including a message reading “Victory is sure.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, INEC described the allegations as false and technically impossible, attributing them to a coordinated disinformation campaign.
According to the report, the disputed X account was not linked to Amupitan in any way.
The account is a clear case of impersonation. All alleged posts or replies attributed to him are fraudulent and unverifiable,” the commission stated.
Investigators highlighted a key flaw in the viral claim: the alleged reply from the account appeared 13 minutes before the original post it supposedly responded to, an occurrence described as impossible on any digital platform.
Further checks using platform data, open-source intelligence tools, and internet archives confirmed that:
- The alleged post never existed on X
- No historical record of the interaction could be found
- The account had no connection to the chairman’s known contacts
The investigation also revealed suspicious activity linked to the account, including:
- A sudden username change from @joashamupitan to another handle
- The account being set to private and labelled as a parody
- Similar fake profiles appearing across Facebook and Instagram
INEC said these actions point to a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and erase digital traces.
The commission dismissed claims that the account was tied to the chairman through phone numbers, emails, or Bank Verification Number (BVN) records.
It clarified that such data cannot establish ownership of a social media account and that verification attempts yielded no connection.
INEC confirmed that the matter has been referred to security agencies for investigation under the Cybercrimes Act, with efforts underway to identify and prosecute those behind the impersonation.
The commission also urged the public and media organisations to avoid sharing unverified content and rely only on official communication channels.
Any account claiming to represent the INEC Chairman should be treated as fraudulent unless confirmed through official sources, the statement added.
