A controversy over the alleged ownership of a personal X (formerly Twitter) account by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has dominated public discourse in recent days.
The episode centers on claims that the account posted partisan content supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC) and then-candidate Bola Tinubu during the 2023 general elections.
The allegations, which surfaced on Friday, April 10, have drawn public attention to questions about the neutrality of Nigeria’s electoral umpire, prompting a detailed rebuttal from the commission.
Prof. Amupitan, a professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and sworn in as INEC chairman.
He succeeded Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who had led the commission since 2015. Amupitan’s appointment came at a time when INEC was preparing for future electoral reforms and off-cycle polls.
The current saga began when screenshots of alleged X posts from an account bearing Amupitan’s name went viral. The posts, dated March 2023, reportedly included expressions of support for then-president-elect Bola Tinubu, such as phrases interpreted as “Victory is sure”, and critical remarks toward opposition supporters, referred to as “Obidients.”
Some users claimed the account, initially under a handle @joashamupitan, was later renamed (reportedly to @Sundayvibe00), locked, or labeled as a parody account after the screenshots gained traction.
X users and online commentators, employing open-source intelligence (OSINT) techniques, traced what they described as the account’s registration details.
Reports indicated the account was linked to the email address amupitanj@yahoo.com, said to match one listed on Amupitan’s publicly available curriculum vitae from his time at the University of Jos, alongside another institutional email, amupitanj@unijos.edu.ng.
Further checks reportedly showed that verification or recovery processes for the Yahoo email prompted notifications to a phone number (beginning 0803***4099), which aligned with details tied to an Opay account registered under the full name “Joash Ojo Amupitan.”
These links were highlighted in screenshots, videos of verification processes, and analyses shared on platforms like X and Facebook, with some users referencing letterheads, academic publications, or CVs as sources for the contact information.
Critics argued that such content, if authentic, would raise concerns about the chairman’s impartiality, given his subsequent role heading the body that declared the 2023 results.
In response, INEC issued a strongly worded press statement on Friday, April 10, 2026, through the chairman’s Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Adedayo Oketola.
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The commission described the claims as part of a “malicious and coordinated campaign of calumny” designed to erode public confidence in the electoral body.
The full statement read in part: “The attention of the Office of the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has been drawn to a malicious and coordinated campaign of calumny circulating on social media.
“The false claim alleges that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has, in the past, endorsed a partisan post on the platform X (formerly Twitter).
“The Commission wishes to state categorically that this allegation is entirely baseless, a total fabrication, and a figment of the imagination of its purveyors.”
It continued: “For the avoidance of doubt, 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.
“This contrived X post is a desperate attempt to impugn the integrity and neutrality of the Chairman. It is a needless distraction designed to stir public distrust in the electoral umpire.”
INEC further linked the episode to a broader pattern of cybercrime, noting that imposters have repeatedly created fake accounts in the chairman’s name to defraud Nigerians.
The commission said it had reported several such accounts to security agencies and is collaborating with cyber-intelligence units to identify and prosecute those responsible under Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act.
“The Commission will ensure that these imposters face the full wrath of the law. Identity theft and the dissemination of forged social media interactions are criminal offences under the Cybercrimes Act,” the statement added.
It urged Nigerians to disregard the claims and rely solely on INEC’s verified official channels for information.
Critics argued that such personal details tied to the account undermined INEC’s denial and raised questions about the chairman’s neutrality, given his role overseeing the body that conducted and declared the 2023 results.
The controversy is still raging on X, as INEC’s statement has done little to calm nerves, with calls for Prof. Amupitan’s resignation or further investigation, suggesting the digital footprint indicated prior partisan leanings.
The development comes amid ongoing public scrutiny of INEC’s role in past elections, though the commission has reiterated its commitment to delivering credible polls regardless of the distraction.
This story is developing, and INEC has encouraged the public to verify information directly from its institutional sources to avoid misinformation.