INEC Reacts To Tweet of Its Chairman Supporting APC

INEC has reacted to a tweet by its Chairman supporting the APC.

Philips News reports that the office of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denounced an X account associated with Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN).

The electoral umpire said that Amupitan does not have an X account, describing it as a malicious and orchestrated smear campaign circulating on social media against the INEC boss.

The said X account indicated that Amupitan had previously endorsed a partisan post on the X platform.

INEC said it wished to assert unequivocally that the allegation was completely unfounded, a total fabrication, and a mere figment of the imagination of those spreading it.

“To clarify, the INEC Chairman does not possess or manage any personal account on X.

“He has never engaged in partisan commentary, nor has he ever aligned himself with any political bias or activity in either his private or public roles,” the statement signed by Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, said.

According to the Commission, the fabricated post represents a desperate attempt to tarnish Amupitan’s integrity and impartiality at a crucial time when the Commission is focusing on electoral reforms and preparations for forthcoming elections.

The statement added, “In addition to this partisan mischief, the Commission is aware that cybercriminals have been active, using fraudulent social media accounts in the Chairman’s name to deceive unsuspecting Nigerians.

“We would like to officially state that numerous such fraudulent accounts have been identified and reported to security agencies in the past. This latest fabrication is simply a continuation of a criminal trend aimed at exploiting the Commission’s reputation for unlawful purposes.”

The statement said the Commission will not fold its hands while the character of its leadership is being attacked by digital impostors and troublemakers.

“We wish to inform the public that we are collaborating closely with relevant security agencies and cyber-intelligence units to track down and identify the individuals or groups responsible for this identity theft and misinformation,” it stated.

The Commission warned that it would take all necessary measures to ensure that the fraudsters are held accountable under the law.

INEC said, “Those who engage in such activities will be identified and prosecuted, serving as a warning to others who may think that the digital realm is a refuge for unlawful behavior.”

The statement called on the general public to completely disregard the misinformation, adding that the Commission will persist in providing official updates concerning the Chairman’s engagements solely through its authenticated institutional channels and formal press releases.