The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has disowned a viral X account falsely linked to its Chairman, Joash Ojo Amupitan, describing it as the product of a coordinated disinformation campaign.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said a comprehensive forensic investigation had confirmed that the Commission’s chairman does not operate any personal X account.
Oketola disclosed that independent cybersecurity experts were engaged to conduct a multi-layered digital probe using platform data, the Internet Archive, open-source intelligence tools, and identity forensics.
According to him, the findings showed that all posts and screenshots linking Amupitan to the handle @joashamupitan were fabricated and technically unverifiable.
“The forensic evidence is comprehensive, multi-sourced, and unambiguous. The posts attributed to the chairman are fabricated. The account is a clear case of impersonation,” he said.
The controversy erupted on 10 April 2026, amid heightened political tension surrounding the African Democratic Congress, ADC and increasing public scrutiny of INEC’s neutrality ahead of critical electoral activities.
At the height of the tension, viral posts surfaced on X alleging that the INEC chairman made a partisan remark, “Victory is sure”, in response to another user. The claim, circulated through screenshots, quickly sparked outrage among political actors and civil society groups, many of whom questioned the Commission’s impartiality.
The situation escalated as the alleged comment gained traction online, fueling ongoing protests by ADC youths across the country, including Lagos, where demonstrators accused the electoral body of interference in party affairs and demanded accountability from key stakeholders.
As pressure mounted, the posts were widely cited across digital platforms as evidence of bias, prompting calls for clarification and an independent verification of the chairman’s digital identity.
However, the Commission said its investigation uncovered multiple inconsistencies pointing to deliberate manipulation.
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Among the key findings, INEC noted that there was no digital linkage between the account and the chairman’s verified contact details, while claims tying the account to his identity through BVN or financial platforms were described as misleading and logically flawed.
The investigation also revealed a major discrepancy in timestamps, showing that the alleged reply was posted 13 minutes before the original tweet, an occurrence experts say is technically impossible.
Further checks using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine found no historical record of the account prior to April 2026, while live verification confirmed that the alleged post never existed on the X platform.
INEC also identified a suspicious pattern in which the account was renamed @sundayvibe00, switched to private mode, and rebranded as a parody account shortly after the screenshots gained traction.
In addition, at least seven fake accounts across Facebook and Instagram impersonating the INEC chairman were uncovered, indicating what officials described as a coordinated, multi-platform disinformation effort.
Oketola warned that advancements in artificial intelligence have made it increasingly easy to fabricate misleading digital content, urging the public and media organizations to verify information before sharing.
“The fact that content goes viral does not make it authentic,” he said, stressing that accuracy must take precedence over speed, especially in matters capable of undermining public trust.
He added that the forensic report has been forwarded to law enforcement agencies for investigation and possible prosecution under the Cybercrimes Act.
The Commission reiterated that all official communications are disseminated strictly through its verified platforms, including its website and official social media accounts, advising the public to treat any unverified account purportedly linked to the chairman as fraudulent.
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