INEC DEBUNKS PARTISAN POST ALLEGEDLY MADE BY PROF AMUPITAN

The Independent National Electoral Commission has dismissed allegations that its chairman, Prof. JOASH AMUPITAN, operates an X account or made partisan comments online, describing the claim as a case of digital impersonation.

In a statement issued yesterday, the commission said it conducted a detailed forensic investigation into the viral screenshots circulating on social media, which purportedly showed the chairman making politically biased remarks, with the probe involving both internal analysis and an independent review by a cybersecurity expert. 

The commission stated that findings clearly showed that AMUPITAN does not operate any personal X account, adding that all posts attributed to him are fraudulent and technically unverifiable.

INEC revealed that the account at the centre of the controversy, identified as @joashamupitan, was created in September 2022 but had no connection to the chairman’s verified email addresses or identity, adding that both its internal review and the independent forensic assessment reached the same conclusion with a high level of certainty.

It added that the forensic report has been handed over to law enforcement agencies, urging them to identify and prosecute those responsible under Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act.