INEC Exonerates Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan Following Forensic Investigation into Fake X Account

ABUJA:  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially cleared its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, of allegations involving a partisan social media post, following a detailed forensic and cybersecurity investigation. The commission confirmed on Monday that it will seek the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for orchestrating what it described as a "coordinated disinformation campaign."

The controversy erupted after viral screenshots suggested that Prof. Amupitan operated a personal X (formerly Twitter) account under the handle @joashamupitan. The screenshots depicted a partisan reply "Victory is sure"—to another user, leading to widespread social media scrutiny and claims that the account was linked to the Chairman’s personal data, including his BVN and phone number.

Investigation Findings: "Technically Impossible"

A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, revealed that an independent investigation utilizing Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) tools and internet archive records found the allegations to be entirely fabricated.

Key findings from the forensic report include:

• Temporal Anomalies: Timestamp analysis showed the alleged reply was "posted" 13 minutes before the original post it was responding to a feat the report noted is "physically impossible" on any digital platform.

• Lack of Digital Footprint: No record of the post exists on live X threads or historical archives such as the Wayback Machine.

• Impersonation Patterns: The account in question was created in September 2022 but had no link to the Chairman’s official or institutional contacts. On the day the screenshots went viral, the handle was abruptly changed to @sundayvibe00 and labeled as a "parody account" in an apparent attempt to mask its origin.

• No Data Linkage: The report debunked claims connecting the account to the Chairman’s BVN or phone number, stating there is no technical linkage between the X account and his verified personal identification.

Legal Action and Public Advisory

INEC has formally referred the case to law enforcement agencies for prosecution under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act. The commission emphasized that the Chairman does not operate any personal social media accounts.

"The forensic evidence is comprehensive, multi-sourced, and unambiguous," the statement read. "The public is advised to refrain from sharing or amplifying unverified screenshots. Media organizations must apply strict verification standards before publication."

The commission concluded by urging social media platforms, including X and Meta, to enhance their response mechanisms regarding the impersonation of public officials, reaffirming that all official communications will be disseminated exclusively through verified INEC channels.