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INEC Clears Chairman Amupitan, Says Viral X Posts Were Digitally Forged
INEC reveals forensic findings showing that claims of a social media account belonging to its chairman are false and digitally altered.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has confirmed that forensic cybersecurity analysis shows its Chairman, Joash Ojo Amupitan, has no official or personal account on X (formerly Twitter), contrary to viral claims.
According to INEC, posts circulating online and attributed to the chairman were digitally created as part of a coordinated misinformation campaign.
The clarification was issued in Abuja by the commission’s Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, following days of viral screenshots alleging political comments from a handle linked to Amupitan.
The controversy began on April 10, 2026, when posts claimed that the INEC chairman used the handle @joashamupitan and replied “Victory is sure” to another user’s post.
The screenshots were widely shared alongside alleged supporting data, including email addresses, phone numbers, BVN details, and claimed digital breach records.
INEC said it engaged an independent forensic expert who conducted a detailed investigation using digital platform analysis, archive verification, and identity tracing tools.
The commission said:
“The posts attributed to Prof. Amupitan on X are fabricated. The account is a clear case of impersonation.”
Investigators discovered a major inconsistency: the alleged reply was time-stamped 4:05 PM, while the original post it responded to was made at 4:18 PM.
INEC noted:
“This is not a minor inconsistency… it is proof the screenshot was digitally altered.”
The investigation also found no archived record of the account before April 10, 2026, and confirmed the alleged interaction does not exist on the live platform.
On the same day the screenshots went viral, the account was reportedly renamed, made private, and labelled a “Parody Account,” which INEC described as an attempt to cover tracks.
The commission also said efforts to link the account to Amupitan’s known contact details failed completely, while BVN-related claims were dismissed as invalid proof of ownership.
Further findings revealed multiple fake accounts impersonating the INEC chairman across social media platforms dating back several years.
INEC has forwarded the forensic report to law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution under Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act.
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