The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has, once again, defended that a viral social media post that was falsely attributed to its Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, is not true. This is after what the INEC called a thorough forensic investigation into a fake X (formerly Twitter) account.
Adedayo Oketola, the Chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, said that the handle that caused the controversy was part of a planned campaign of false information meant to confuse the public and hurt the credibility of institutions.
He said that INEC hired an outside forensic cybersecurity expert to look into the claims and that the results are clear.
“INEC, committed to a full forensic investigation, commissioned an independent forensic cybersecurity expert, who conducted a multi-layered forensic and digital investigation using X platform data, internet archive records, OSINT tools, identity forensics and cross-platform analysis,” Oketola said.
According to him, the findings were conclusive:, “All posts, replies, and screenshots linking him to the handle @joashamupitan are fraudulent, forensically unverifiable, and technically impossible.”
The argument started on April 10, 2026, when screenshots that went viral claimed that the INEC Chairman made a partisan comment —”Victory is sure”— in response to another user. The posts quickly made people angry and got political reactions online. However, INEC said that the story falls apart when it is looked at closely by forensic experts.
Providing details of the investigation, Oketola highlighted several critical findings:
“No Digital Linkage: There is no connection between the disputed X account and Prof. Amupitan’s verified email addresses or phone numbers, as multiple recovery and verification attempts failed to establish any link.
“False BVN/OPay Claims: Data used to suggest ownership of the account only confirms identity and does not establish control of any social media handle, making such claims a logical fallacy.
“Timestamp Manipulation: The alleged reply ‘Victory is sure’ was posted 13 minutes before the original tweet it responded to, an occurrence that is technically impossible and definitive proof of fabrication.
“No Historical Record: Searches on the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine showed zero evidence of the account or its alleged activity prior to April 2026.
“Non-Existence on X Platform: Live checks confirmed that the alleged reply does not exist and has never existed on the platform.
“Account Renaming Pattern: On the same day the screenshots went viral, the account was renamed @sundayvibe00, set to private, and labelled a ‘parody account,’ indicating deliberate impersonation and damage control.
“Coordinated Multi-Platform Impersonation: At least seven fake accounts across Facebook and Instagram using the Chairman’s identity were identified, pointing to a sustained disinformation effort.”
Summing up the findings, Oketola stated: “The forensic evidence is comprehensive, multi-sourced, and unambiguous. The posts attributed to Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan on X are fabricated. The account is a clear case of impersonation.”
He called the event “a coordinated digital impersonation and disinformation campaign,” quoting one of the independent investigators. He also warned that advances in AI are making it easier to make content that looks real but isn’t. He told people to be careful about sharing things online and urged news media organizations to put accuracy ahead of speed.
“Media organisations, in particular, have a duty to apply strict forensic verification standards to social media posts and screenshots before publishing them, especially when such content implicates public officials or carries serious consequences for public trust and institutional credibility. Accuracy, not speed, must guide reporting in matters of this nature,” he said.
INEC also said that the independent forensic report has been sent to law enforcement for further action. They urged authorities to find those responsible and charge them under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act.
What happened to INEC Chairman?
Two weeks ago, a netizen on X dug out a response attributed to Joash Amupitan. The tweet, written as ‘Victory is sure’ was a response to a tweet by popular APC Chieftain Dayo Isreal who boasted that he had flipped his “nearby,” “Igbo-dominated” polling unit from the opposition to the APC.
Other tweets of his were dug out. On March 17, 2023, a day earlier, one Okodoro Oro debunked a rumour that supporters of Peter Obi had used an outdated photo of a bleeding man to disparage legislator Desmond Elliot of Lagos State.
“They are evil in the 24th [sic] century,” was Amupitan’s reply.
A Tinubu supporter account commemorated Tinubu’s arrival at the Abuja airport in April of 2025. “Asiwaju” was Amupitan’s one-word response to the tweet.
As soon as the all of these tweets went viral, a none-yet-to-be-indentified handler of the X account named @joashamupitan quickly deactivated the account and renamed it to @Sundayvibe002.
Since then, protests have been staged, asking for the removal of the INEC Chairman.
