The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has denied operating an X account allegedly used to express support for President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 general election.
Amupitan said he had never owned or operated a personal account on the social media platform, insisting that the account linked to his name did not belong to him.
He spoke on Thursday during a dialogue organised by Chatham House in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative in London. The discussion was themed “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot”.
The INEC chairman also disclosed that the controversy had been reported to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the office of the Inspector-General of Police, adding that an independent report had been obtained.
Responding to a question about whether an investigation had established that he was not behind the account, Amupitan said: “We have an independent report, and the matter was also reported to the DSS as well as to the IG.”
He explained that his attempts to contact X over the allegation were unsuccessful because he was not a registered user of the platform.
“I never had an X account. I tried to get in touch with X, but there’s no way if you don’t have an account,” he said.
Amupitan further maintained that the disputed account had no connection with him.
“I have my Yahoo mail. I check Yahoo mail. It was never my account. And that is the truth,” he added.
He also disclosed that some civil society organisations had expressed interest in investigating the allegation.
Amupitan alleges plot to discredit INEC
The INEC chairman suggested that the controversy was part of an attempt to undermine his credibility and weaken public confidence in the electoral commission.
He linked the emergence of the allegation to a court ruling involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the interpretation of the status quo ante bellum order.
Amupitan argued that targeting the chairman was a way of attacking the institution he leads.
“The only way that people could bring down an institution was to say, ‘Oh, this person,’” he said.
He also dismissed previous allegations that he was a member of President Tinubu’s legal team and had made false claims about his educational background.
According to him, investigations by the DSS and police found those allegations to be unfounded.
How the pro-Tinubu X account controversy started
The controversy followed allegations that an X account bearing the handle @joashamupitan belonged to the INEC chairman and had expressed support for the APC during the 2023 general election.
The account reportedly replied to a post by former APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, celebrating the party’s victory in a predominantly Igbo community in Lagos.
The response read: “Victory is sure.”
The allegation subsequently raised questions about Amupitan’s political neutrality, particularly as INEC prepares to conduct the 2027 general election.
However, INEC had previously dismissed the claims, describing them as fabricated and part of an attempt to undermine the chairman’s credibility.
Amupitan expressed confidence in the commission’s preparations for the 2027 elections, saying the exercise would be one Nigerians would be proud of.
