INEC disowns fake X account targeting chairman, cites forensic investigation
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disowned a purported X (formerly Twitter) account linked to its Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, describing it as fake and part of a coordinated disinformation campaign.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, the commission said a comprehensive forensic investigation conducted by independent cybersecurity experts confirmed that the chairman does not operate any personal X account.
Oketola explained that INEC commissioned an independent expert to carry out a multi-layered forensic and digital analysis using platform data, internet archive records, open-source intelligence tools, identity forensics and cross-platform checks.
He stated that all posts, replies and screenshots linking the chairman to the handle @joashamupitan were fraudulent, technically impossible and without any verifiable digital footprint.
The controversy began on April 10, 2026, when viral posts alleged that the INEC Chairman made a partisan comment, “Victory is sure”, in response to another user, supported by screenshots presented as evidence.
Oketola said the investigation established that there was no digital linkage between the disputed account and the chairman’s verified contact details, while also dismissing claims based on BVN or OPay data as insufficient to prove ownership of any social media account.
He added that timestamp analysis showed the alleged reply appeared before the original post it was said to have responded to, describing it as technical proof of fabrication, while no record of the account was found on archival platforms or live checks.
“The forensic evidence is comprehensive, multi-sourced and unambiguous. The posts attributed to Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan on X are fabricated. The account is a clear case of impersonation,” Oketola said.
