Abuja, NIGERIA — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released a comprehensive forensic report on Monday, debunking claims that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, operated a partisan X (formerly Twitter) account.
The controversy began on April 10, when screenshots surfaced showing an account with the handle @joashamupitan making a partisan reply, “Victory is sure,” to a post by a user identified as @dayoisreal. A multi-layered forensic investigation conducted by an independent cybersecurity expert has conclusively proven that the account and the viral post were fraudulent fabrications.
Okay News reports that the investigation utilized OSINT tools, Wayback Machine archives, and technical platform data to reach several definitive conclusions. Digital analysis revealed that the alleged “Victory is sure” reply was timestamped 13 minutes before the original post even existed. Metadata shows the original post was published at 4:18 PM, while the fabricated reply was dated 4:05 PM. This physical impossibility on a digital platform serves as primary evidence of digital manipulation.
Furthermore, the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine showed zero records of the handle prior to April 10, 2026, indicating the account had no prior history of activity. On the same day the screenshots went viral, the account was renamed to @sundayvibe00, set to private, and retroactively labeled a “Parody Account,” which investigators described as a standard damage-control tactic to conceal a digital trail.
Forensic tests also failed to link the X account to Prof. Amupitan’s verified University of Jos or Yahoo email addresses. While his phone number was used in a “linkage test” by bad actors, the report confirmed it was technically impossible to connect that number to the X platform account.
INEC identified this as part of a broader, coordinated disinformation effort, noting that at least seven fake Facebook and Instagram accounts have also been used to impersonate Prof. Amupitan. The Commission stated that the Chairman, who was sworn in on October 23, 2025, does not operate any personal social media accounts.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, warned media organizations and the public against amplifying unverified screenshots. He noted that Generative AI and basic editing tools make such fabrications increasingly easy to produce and emphasized that accuracy must guide reporting in matters of institutional credibility.
The matter has been referred to law enforcement agencies for prosecution under Nigeria’s Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, which criminalizes identity theft and digital forgery. INEC reaffirmed that all official communications remain restricted to its verified website and official social media handles.
