The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed claims linking one of its officials, Joash Amupitan, to a controversial X (formerly Twitter) account, describing the reports as a coordinated act of impersonation and digital manipulation.
The commission said findings from an independent forensic investigation confirmed that Amupitan does not own or operate any personal account on the platform, contrary to viral posts circulating on social media.
The controversy began on April 10, 2026, when screenshots surfaced online alleging that an account identified as @joashamupitan made a partisan comment in response to another user. The posts were accompanied by purported evidence, including email records, phone numbers, and financial verification data, which were widely shared across online platforms.
However, INEC, in a statement issued by its Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, said the claims were false and not supported by any verifiable digital evidence.
According to the commission, a multi-layered forensic analysis involving platform data, internet archives, open-source intelligence tools, and identity verification processes found no link between the account and Amupitan.
“The forensic evidence is clear and unambiguous. The account is not owned or operated by Prof. Amupitan, and all posts attributed to him are fabricated,” the statement said.
The report further revealed inconsistencies in the viral screenshots, including a timestamp anomaly which showed that the alleged reply was posted 13 minutes before the original tweet—an occurrence described as “technically impossible.”
Investigators also noted that the account in question was renamed and set to private on the same day the screenshots went viral, before being labelled as a parody account, a move interpreted as an attempt to conceal its history.
Additional findings pointed to a broader impersonation campaign, with multiple fake accounts discovered across platforms such as Facebook and Instagram using Amupitan’s identity.
INEC stressed that attempts to link the account to the official’s email address and phone number failed during forensic verification, while data breach records cited online were described as non-specific and incapable of establishing ownership of any social media account.
The commission warned the public against spreading unverified information, particularly in an era of increasing digital manipulation and artificial intelligence-driven misinformation.
It also urged media organisations to prioritise accuracy and proper verification when reporting sensitive issues involving public officials.
INEC added that the forensic report has been forwarded to law enforcement agencies for further investigation, including identifying those responsible for creating and promoting the fake account.
The commission reiterated that all official communications are disseminated through its verified platforms and advised the public to treat any account claiming to represent Amupitan in a personal capacity as fraudulent unless confirmed through official channels.
