Adebayo Questions Integrity in X Account Row; INEC Says ‘Grok Can Hallucinate’

A controversy surrounding an alleged X account linked to Joash Amupitan has sparked debate over credibility and public trust, with Adewole Adebayo warning that any denial, if disproved, could raise serious integrity concerns.

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) made the remarks on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, stressing that the issue goes beyond technical arguments.

“If it is traced to him and he denies it, then it raises questions about integrity,” Adebayo said.

While acknowledging that online content can be manipulated, he maintained that digital forensics can establish account ownership.

“It is well known that in the digital space, you could manipulate anything, but there is forensic tracing of identity,” he stated.

Adebayo suggested that the matter could be settled through the courts or an investigation by the National Assembly, possibly via its INEC committees.

“It is either someone will go to court… or the National Assembly will conduct an investigation,” he said.

He, however, noted that even proof of ownership would not automatically disqualify Amupitan under the law, explaining that the requirement only bars active party membership at the time of appointment.

“In a simple matter like this, if you are already lying to the public… then it becomes a question of integrity,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed claims of a confirmed link, saying no verified forensic evidence currently ties Amupitan to the account.

Speaking on The Morning Brief, INEC’s ICT Director, Lawrence Bayode, said the commission is pursuing further investigation, including engaging third-party experts.

“We are taking this further… and we rely on evidence,” he said.

He emphasized that screenshots are insufficient for conclusions and warned about the risks of relying on artificial intelligence outputs.

“Grok honestly can hallucinate just like any modern artificial intelligence system… So any AI system can hallucinate, and so Grok can also hallucinate,” Bayode stated.

He also pointed out that social media accounts can be created or compromised using another person’s credentials, especially without strong security protections.

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