The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has denied owning or operating any account on X, (formerly known as Twitter), describing claims linking him to a partisan post as false and malicious.
In a statement, his spokesperson, Adedayo Oketola, said the allegations that Mr Amupitan, endorsed a political post on the social media platform were “entirely baseless” and a “fabrication.”
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“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 read.
Social media users had accused the INEC chairperson of using an X account and also making partisan comments on the platform.
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But Mr Oketola said it was part of a coordinated attempt to undermine the credibility and neutrality of the INEC leadership.
The statement also raised concerns about the growing activities of cybercriminals impersonating the chairperson online.
“Beyond this partisan mischief, the commission is aware that cybercriminals have been on the prowl, utilising fake social media accounts in the chairman’s name to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians,” the statement said.
“We wish to place it on record that several of such fraudulent accounts had been identified and reported to security agencies in the past. This latest fabrication is merely a continuation of a criminal pattern aimed at exploiting the commission’s profile for illicit gains. It said several fake accounts using Mr Amupitan’s name had previously been identified and reported to security agencies.”
Mr Oketola said the electoral body is working with security agencies and cyber-intelligence units to track down those responsible for the alleged identity theft and misinformation.
He warned that perpetrators would be prosecuted in line with the law, noting that identity theft and the spread of forged or manipulated online content are offences under Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act.
President Bola Tinubu appointed Mr Amupitan, a professor of law, as chairman of INEC in October last year.
He replaced Mahmood Yakubu, also a professor, who led INEC from 2015 until he stepped down as his second tenure of five years drew to an end.
