The Independent National Electoral Commission has denied that its chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, owns or has ever operated a personal account on X, formerly Twitter.
This followed the circulation of a tweet attributed to him in which he allegedly declared that “victory is sure” for the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2023 general elections.
THE WHISTLER reports that the post, dated March 18, 2023, was a reaction to a tweet by the APC national youth leader, Dayo Israel, in which Israel claimed to have swung votes for the APC in “Igbo dominated community” in Lagos.
An account bearing Amupitan’s name then commented “Victory is sure” under Israel tweet.
The old post has since garnered thousands of views and sparked reactions from Nigerians who questioned the impartiality of INEC.
But speaking through his Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Adedayo Oketola, on Friday, the INEC boss described the allegation as “entirely baseless, a total fabrication, and a figment of the imagination of its purveyors.”
The statement reads, “The INEC Chairman does not own or operate any personal account on X.
“He has at no time engaged in partisan commentary, nor has he ever associated himself with any political leaning or activity in his private or public capacity.”
INEC further described the post as “a desperate attempt to impugn the integrity and neutrality of the Chairman at a critical period when the Commission is focused on significant electoral reforms and preparations for upcoming polls.”
The commission said it was “working in close collaboration with relevant security agencies and cyber-intelligence units to track and identify the individuals or groups behind this identity theft and misinformation,” adding that those found responsible would be prosecuted under the Cybercrimes Act.
“Identity theft and the dissemination of deepfake or forged social media interactions are criminal offenses under the Cybercrimes Act,” the statement said.
“Those responsible for this mischief will be tracked and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others who believe the digital space is a safe haven for criminality.”
Oketola urged the public to disregard the post and seek information about the commission only through verified channels.
