The Independent National Electoral Commission says a forensic cybersecurity probe has confirmed that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, does not own or manage any account on X, formerly Twitter.

Chief Press Secretary Adedayo Oketola said in Abuja on Monday that independent experts carried out a multi-layered investigation using platform data, archive records, open-source tools, identity forensics, and cross-platform checks. The review found that all posts, replies, and screenshots tying the Chairman to the handle @joashamupitan were fraudulent and technically impossible.

The issue began on April 10, 2026, when viral posts claimed the Chairman replied “Victory is sure” to another user. Forensic analysis showed the alleged reply was timestamped 13 minutes before the original post existed, a physical impossibility on any digital platform. Internet Archive searches found no record of the account or its activity before April 10. Live checks confirmed the reply does not exist and never existed on X.

Investigators also found no link between the disputed account and Amupitan’s verified email addresses or phone numbers. Claims citing BVN or OPay data only confirmed ownership of a phone number, not control of the account. On the same day the screenshots spread, the handle @joashamupitan was renamed @sundayvibe00, set to private, and tagged as a “parody account.” At least seven fake profiles using variations of the Chairman’s name were active between 2018 and 2021, years before his October 2025 appointment.

INEC described the episode as a coordinated impersonation and disinformation effort. The forensic report has been referred to law enforcement agencies for action under the Cybercrimes Act. The commission urged the public and media to verify content through official channels before sharing.