“The president of INEC has no account of X, ignore biased fabrications”

The attention of the Office of the President, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has been drawn to a malicious and coordinated smear campaign circulating on social media.
The false claim alleges that INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has, in the past, approved a partisan post on Platform X (formerly Twitter).

The Commission wishes to state categorically that this claim is completely unfounded, a complete fabrication and the figment of the imagination of its suppliers. For the avoidance of doubt, the INEC Chairman does not own or operate any personal accounts on X. He has never engaged in partisan commentary, nor has he ever associated himself with any political trend or activity in his private or public capacity.

This contrived assignment It is an unnecessary distraction designed to stir up public distrust of the election umpire.

Beyond this partisan malice, the Commission is aware that cybercriminals have been lurking, using fake social media accounts in the President’s name to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians. We wish to place on record that many of these fraudulent accounts have been identified and reported to security agencies in the past. This latest falsification is simply the continuation of a criminal pattern aimed at exploiting the Commission’s profile for illicit gains.

The Commission will not fold its arms while the character of its leadership is assassinated by digital impostors and evildoers. We wish to inform the public that we are working closely with relevant security agencies and cyber-intelligence units to track and identify the individuals or groups behind this identity theft and disinformation.

Let it be clear that the Commission will ensure that these impostors face the full wrath of the law. Identity theft and the dissemination of deepfakes or counterfeit interactions on social media are criminal offenses under the Cybercrime Act. Those responsible for this evil will be tracked down and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to those who believe the digital space is a safe haven for crime.

The public is invited to completely ignore this falsehood. We will continue to disseminate official information regarding the activities of the Commission and the President only through our verified institutional channels and formal press releases.

The Commission remains undeterred and fully committed to its mandate to ensure free, fair and credible elections for all Nigerians.

*Electronically signed:
Adedayo Oketola
Head of Press Office/Media Adviser to the President of INEC
Abuja, Nigeria.