Trending 
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will seek the arrest of those behind a fake X (formerly Twitter) account falsely linked to its Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, after a forensic investigation reportedly cleared him of involvement.
The controversy followed weeks of online debate sparked by viral screenshots alleging that the INEC chairman operated an X account, @joashamupitan, and posted a partisan message that read, “Victory is sure.”
In a statement issued on Monday by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, the commission cautioned the public against spreading unverified social media content.
According to INEC, an independent forensic and cybersecurity review found that the claims were fabricated, technically impossible and part of a coordinated disinformation effort.
The commission said the report, which relied on X platform data analysis, open-source intelligence tools, archived internet records and timestamp checks, concluded that Prof. Amupitan does not operate any personal X account.
“The X account attributed to Prof. Amupitan is a clear case of impersonation. All alleged posts, replies or statements linked to him are fraudulent and unverifiable.”
Investigators reportedly found that the account in question was created in September 2022 but had no connection to the chairman’s known email addresses or official institutional contacts.
INEC added that a key part of the review involved timestamp analysis, which allegedly showed that the viral reply saying “Victory is sure” was posted 13 minutes before the original message it was said to be responding to. According to the commission, such a sequence would be impossible on the platform.
The report also stated that the alleged reply could not be found on the live X platform or in archived versions of the site.
“The reply has never existed on X. It is absent from both live threads and historical records.
“The Internet Archive (Wayback Machine) reportedly showed no trace of the account or any activity attributed to it before April 2026.
“The report also uncovered what it described as a “deliberate impersonation pattern.”
Further findings, according to INEC, showed that the disputed account was renamed from @joashamupitan to @sundayvibe00 on the same day the screenshots went viral, after which it was made private and marked as a parody account. Investigators said this appeared to be an attempt to remove traces of impersonation.
The commission said several other fake accounts across Facebook and Instagram were also linked to similar identity misuse, suggesting a coordinated multi-platform impersonation effort.
INEC also rejected claims that the account was tied to Amupitan through phone numbers, emails or BVN records, saying no technical link was established between the account and any verified personal information belonging to the chairman.
The electoral body said the matter has now been referred to security agencies for investigation and possible prosecution under the Cybercrimes Act.
The statement read in part, “The forensic evidence is comprehensive, multi-sourced and unambiguous. The posts attributed to Prof. Amupitan are fabricated. The account is a clear case of impersonation.
”The public is advised to refrain from sharing or amplifying unverified screenshots. Media organisations must apply strict verification standards before publication.”
INEC urged the public to avoid circulating unverified screenshots and advised media organisations to apply strict verification standards before publication.
It also called on social media companies, including X, Meta and Instagram, to strengthen their response systems against impersonation of public officials.
The commission maintained that Prof. Amupitan does not operate any personal social media account and said all official communications would continue to come only through verified INEC channels.
