The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed as fraudulent a purported X (formerly Twitter) account linked to its Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, describing the handle as part of a coordinated disinformation and impersonation campaign. The revelation came in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, Mr. Adedayo Oketola, on Monday in Abuja, in which he confirmed that Prof. Amupitan does not operate any personal X account.
According to Oketola, INEC commissioned independent cybersecurity experts to conduct a comprehensive, multi‑layered forensic investigation using X platform data, internet archive records, OSINT tools, identity forensics, and cross‑platform analysis. The probe found no evidence that the Chairman owns or controls the alleged handle @joashamupitan, and concluded that all posts, replies, and accompanying screenshots attributed to the handle are fabricated, forensically unverifiable, and technically impossible.
The controversy began on 10 April 2026, when social media was flooded with screenshots and claims that the INEC Chairman had responded to a post with the phrase “Victory is sure,” framed as a partisan comment. The forensic investigation, however, uncovered several red flags, including the absence of any digital linkage between the disputed account and the Chairman’s verified email addresses or phone numbers, and the use of Bank Verification Number (BVN) and OPay data to falsely suggest account ownership. The experts also established that the alleged reply “Victory is sure” was timestamped 13 minutes before the original tweet, a sequence that cannot occur on the platform, proving the post was faked.
Additional findings revealed that the account did not appear in the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine prior to April 2026, has no live record on the X platform, and was renamed @sundayvibe00, set to private, and labelled a parody account on the same day the screenshots went viral. The investigation also identified at least seven other fake profiles bearing the Chairman’s identity across Facebook and Instagram, underscoring a deliberate, multi‑platform disinformation effort.
Oketola reiterated that all official communications from INEC are issued exclusively through its verified channels, including its website (www.inecnigeria.org), its official X handle (@inecnigeria), verified Facebook page, online news portal (www.inecnews.com), formal press releases from headquarters in Abuja, and official media briefings. He warned the public against circulating unverified content and urged media organisations to prioritise accuracy over speed, stressing that virality does not equate to authenticity. The independent forensic report has been forwarded to law enforcement agencies for investigation and possible prosecution of the perpetrators under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act.