The Independent National Electoral Commission has confirmed it will pursue the arrest of individuals behind the fabrication of a fake X (formerly Twitter) account allegedly linked to its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, following a detailed forensic investigation that exonerated him.

This follows weeks of online controversy sparked by viral screenshots claiming the INEC chairman operated an X account (@joashamupitan) and made a partisan post, “Victory is sure,” purportedly in response to another user.

The allegations escalated after additional screenshots circulated on social media, purporting to show emails, phone numbers, BVN records and data breach links tying the professor to the account, claims that were widely shared across platforms before being subjected to verification.

In the statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, on Monday the commission warned against spreading unverified social media content.

Forensic investigation clears INEC chairman

According to a comprehensive independent forensic and cybersecurity investigation commissioned by INEC, the claims were “fabricated, technically impossible and part of a coordinated disinformation campaign.”

The report, which relied on X platform data analysis, OSINT tools, internet archive records and timestamp verification, concluded that Prof. Amupitan “does not operate any personal X account.”

A key section of the findings stated, “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.”

The investigation further revealed that the disputed account was created in September 2022 but had no linkage to the professor’s known email or official institutional contacts.

One of the most critical findings centred on timestamp analysis of the viral post.

The report stated, “The alleged reply ‘Victory is sure’ was posted 13 minutes before the original post it responded to. This is physically impossible on any digital platform.”

Investigators also confirmed that the supposed reply does not exist on the live X platform or in any archived version, adding,”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.”

It noted that on the same day the screenshots went viral, the disputed account was renamed from @joashamupitan to @sundayvibe00, set to private, and tagged as a “Parody Account”

Investigators said this sudden change strongly suggested an attempt to erase digital traces.

“The renaming and ‘parody’ label is consistent with damage-control by an impersonator,” the report stated.

At least seven fake social media accounts across Facebook and Instagram were also linked to similar identity misuse, reinforcing what investigators described as a “multi-platform coordinated impersonation effort.”

No link to email, phone number or BVN — INEC

The report also debunked claims that the account was tied to Prof. Amupitan through email, phone number or BVN records.

While confirming that the professor’s phone number is validly registered, the investigators stressed,“A phone number appearing in BVN records does not establish ownership of a social media account. There is no technical linkage between the X account and the phone number or email address.”

It added that multiple recovery attempts through X platform verification tools failed to connect the account to any official identity belonging to the INEC chairman.

INEC refers case to security agencies

INEC said the matter has now been referred to law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) 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 also urged social media platforms such as X, Meta and Instagram to strengthen rapid response mechanisms to tackle impersonation of public officials.

The commission reaffirmed that Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan does not operate any personal social media accounts and that all official communications will continue to be issued through verified INEC channels only.

“Any account purporting to represent the INEC Chairman should be treated as fraudulent unless confirmed through official sources,” the statement added. (The PUNCH)

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