The Independent National Electoral Commission (Independent National Electoral Commission) has released the outcome of a forensic investigation into an alleged social media account linked to its chairman, concluding that the account and all attributed posts were fake, manipulated, and part of a coordinated impersonation effort.
In a statement issued on Monday by Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, the Commission said a detailed digital forensic review found no connection between Professor Joash Amupitan and the disputed X (formerly Twitter) handle @joashamupitan.
According to the statement, the account and the viral posts attributed to Amupitan were “forensically unverifiable” and “technically impossible,” describing them as products of disinformation.
The controversy began on April 10, 2026, when screenshots circulated online alleging that Amupitan operated the account and posted a partisan message reading “Victory is sure” in response to another user.
The claims quickly gained traction after additional screenshots emerged, purporting to show associated emails, phone numbers, OPay records, and Bank Verification Number (BVN) data.
However, INEC said it commissioned an independent cybersecurity forensic expert to conduct a multi-layered investigation using platform analytics, open-source intelligence tools, and internet archive data.
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“The independent forensic investigation report conclusively establishes that Prof. Amupitan does NOT operate any personal X account,” the statement said.
It added that all posts, replies, or statements linked to the chairman were “fraudulent, digitally manipulated, and part of a coordinated disinformation campaign.”
Investigators reportedly discovered that the disputed account underwent multiple suspicious changes on the same day the screenshots went viral. Initially bearing the handle @joashamupitan, it was later renamed @sundayvibe00 before being switched to private and subsequently labelled as a parody account.
INEC described the sequence as a deliberate attempt to erase digital traces. “This is clearly a damage-control tactic by an impersonator seeking to eliminate evidence of activity,” the statement noted.
On allegations connecting the account to Amupitan’s email and phone number, the report found no verifiable linkage. It also dismissed claims based on BVN and banking details as inconclusive and scientifically unreliable for establishing social media ownership.
“The X platform would have confirmed any authentic linkage if it existed. There is no connection whatsoever between the email or phone records and the account,” Oketola said, adding that such claims amounted to “a logical fallacy rather than forensic proof.”
The Commission further highlighted a critical inconsistency in the viral material, noting that one alleged reply was timestamped 13 minutes before the original post it was responding to—an impossibility under platform logic.
“No social media system allows a reply to precede the original post. This confirms that the screenshot was digitally fabricated,” the statement said.
INEC added that live searches conducted on the X platform showed that the alleged post and reply do not exist in any form.
Beyond X, investigators reportedly uncovered similar impersonation attempts across other platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, suggesting what the report described as a wider coordinated disinformation network.
“The forensic evidence is comprehensive, multi-sourced, and unambiguous. The posts attributed to Prof. Amupitan are fabricated,” the statement concluded.
The Commission said the report has been forwarded to relevant law enforcement agencies for further investigation, including tracing the origin of the fake screenshots and identifying those behind the impersonation.