The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that allegations linking its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, to a partisan X (formerly Twitter) account are the result of digital impersonation.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Commission disclosed that a comprehensive forensic investigation—supported by an independent cybersecurity expert—found the viral claim, circulated through social media screenshots, to be fabricated.

According to INEC, the probe utilised X platform data, internet archive records, open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools, identity forensics, and cross-platform analysis. The findings established that Prof. Amupitan does not operate any personal X account, and that all posts attributed to him are “fraudulent, forensically unverifiable, technically impossible, and part of a coordinated disinformation [campaign].”

Among the findings, the Commission noted that the disputed account, @joashamupitan, was created in September 2022 but had no connection to the chairman’s verified email addresses. Timestamp analysis also revealed inconsistencies, including a purported 2026 reply—“Victory is sure”—which appeared 13 minutes before the original post it allegedly responded to.

INEC further stated that searches on the Wayback Machine showed no record of the account prior to April 2026, while the alleged reply was absent from both live and archived threads.

The Commission also highlighted a suspicious sequence of events on April 10, 2026—the same day the screenshots went viral. It said the account was immediately renamed to @sundayvibe00, set to private, and labelled as a parody.

“This is clearly a damage-control tactic by an impersonator seeking to eliminate a digital trail. The self-application of the ‘Parody’ label is particularly notable. It constitutes an implicit admission that the account was never Prof. Amupitan’s genuine personal account,” the statement, signed by the chairman’s media aide, Mr. Adedayo Oketola, read in part.

INEC added that at least seven fake Facebook and Instagram accounts using Prof. Amupitan’s name and photographs were identified, indicating what it described as “a sustained and coordinated impersonation operation”.

Addressing claims linking the account to the chairman’s email and phone number, the Commission stated that multiple recovery attempts on the X platform failed to establish any connection.

“All attempts by the maligned actors failed. The X platform would have confirmed linkage had any genuine association existed. Therefore, there is no linkage between the email account and the X account,” it said.

While confirming that the email address amupitanj@yahoo.com was verified through University of Jos records and legal directories, INEC emphasised that no forensic link exists between the email and the disputed account. Similarly, it noted that although Bank Verification Number (BVN) data confirmed ownership of the phone number cited, it does not establish social media account ownership.

“A phone number appearing in a BVN record cannot be used to establish social media account ownership. The public conclusion drawn—that this phone number is his, therefore this X account belongs to him—is a logical fallacy, not forensic proof,” the statement added.

The Commission said both its internal and independent investigations reached the same conclusion “with high confidence,” describing the incident as a coordinated disinformation campaign. It urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified content, citing the growing risks posed by artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and digital manipulation.

INEC disclosed that the forensic report has been forwarded to law enforcement agencies and called for swift action to identify and prosecute those responsible under Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act.

The allegation originated from viral screenshots claiming that Prof. Amupitan—appointed and sworn in by Bola Tinubu five months ago—had posted a partisan message in support of the APC. The posts triggered widespread online reactions and criticism from opposition figures, prompting the Commission to initiate the forensic investigation.