INEC: Amupitan does not own an X account, has never engaged in partisan commentary
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed claims circulating on social media that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan owns a personal account on X.
Recently, claims circulated online alleging that Amupitan operated a personal account on X and used it to endorse or interact with a partisan post.
In a post made on 18 March 2023, a purported X user, The Dayo Israel, wrote: ‘Today, I rejoice, not (just) for delivering my polling unit, but for winning 7 of the 10 polling unit (sic) in my nearby Igbo dominated community where APC have (sic) NEVER WON. They ALWAYS vote (sic) for opposition, but this time, I sat with the youth of the community and forged a partnership.
Dayo Israel is the National Youth Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The said Amupitan responded to the alleged post: ‘Victory is sure’.
In a statement on Friday, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Adedayo Oketola, described the allegation as ‘entirely baseless, a total fabrication, and a figment of the imagination of its purveyors’.
Oketola said that Amupitan has not engaged in political commentary and urged the public to ignore the misinformation campaign.
‘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’, the statement reads.
Oketola said that the viral post was part of a deliberate attempt to undermine the integrity and neutrality of his principal at a critical period when the commission is focused on significant electoral reforms and preparations for upcoming polls.
He also raised concerns about fraudulent social media accounts impersonating the INEC Chairman, warning that such platforms have been used to scam Nigerians.
‘Cybercriminals have been on the prowl, utilising fake social media accounts in the Chairman’s name to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians’, Oketola added.
He noted that several such accounts had already been reported to security agencies, adding that the commission is working with law enforcement and cyber-intelligence units to identify those behind the impersonation and misinformation.
