Prof. Amupitan, INEC chairman
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared that a forensic cybersecurity investigation has conclusively established that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, does not own or operate any account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
It also said viral social media posts attributed to him were digitally fabricated, as part of a coordinated disinformation campaign.
The commission disclosed this in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Chairman, Mr Adedayo Oketola, in Abuja yesterday, following weeks of circulating screenshots that purported to show Amupitan making a partisan political post on the platform.
According to the statement, the trouble began on April 10, 2026, when Prof. Amupitan’s attention was drawn to posts and screenshots on social media claiming he operated an X account under the handle @joashamupitan and had posted the phrase “Victory is sure” in reply to another user, @dayoisreal.
The screenshots spread rapidly across both traditional and online media, with accompanying records of emails, phone numbers, OPay and BVN verification data and alleged data breach files presented as corroborating evidence linking the INEC boss to the account.
INEC responded by commissioning an independent forensic cybersecurity expert, who conducted a multi-layered investigation using X platform data, internet archive records, OSINT tools, identity forensics and cross-platform analysis. The findings were unequivocal, he said.
“The forensic evidence is comprehensive, multi-sourced, and unambiguous. The posts attributed to Prof. Amupitan on X are fabricated. The account is a clear case of impersonation, and the surrounding activity points to a coordinated disinformation effort intended to manipulate public perception”, Oketola said.
Among the most striking pieces of forensic evidence was a timestamp anomaly that investigators described as the definitive proof of fabrication.
The viral screenshots showed the alleged “Victory is sure” reply from @joashamupitan timestamped at 4:05 PM, yet forensic verification of the original post by @dayoisreal confirmed it was published at 4:18 PM Nigerian time — thirteen minutes later.
