The federal government has remained silent amidst calls for the resignation of the Independent National Electoral Chairman Commission INEC,Chairman,Joash Amupitan over alleged partisanship and link to the ruling All Progressive Congress APC intensify.
Amupitan has been in the limelight after a controversial tweet from a 2023 post by the AP National Youth Leader,Dayo Israel, resurfaced on X was linked to an account allegedly belonging to the INEC Chairman.
The post read,”Today I rejoice, not just for delivering my polling unit, but for winning 7 of the 10 polling units in my nearby Igbo-dominated community where APC have NEVER WON… I sat with the youth of the community and forged a partnership.”
The post has generated condemnations from both opposition parties,netizens and right groups who questioned the credibility of the forthcoming elections under Professor Amupitan.
Amupitan Denies Link To Viral Tweet.The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has disowned the X profile impersonating him, describing it as a ‘malicious and coordinated campaign of calumny.’
In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola,on Friday,the Chairman stated that he does not own or operate any personal account on X.
“The attention of the Office of the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has been drawn to a malicious and coordinated campaign of calumny circulating on social media. The false claim alleges that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has, in the past, endorsed a partisan post on the platform X (formerly Twitter).
Oketola maintained that the Commission will not fold its arms while the character of its leadership is being assassinated by digital impostors and mischief-makers.
“We wish to notify the public that we are working in close collaboration with relevant security agencies and cyber-intelligence units to track and identify the individuals or groups behind this identity theft and misinformation” he added
INEC Reacts To Viral Tweet Linked To Its Chairman.The Independent National Electoral Commission has revealed that the commission won’t rely on artificial intelligence analysis in the ongoing allegations linked to its chairman.
In an interview with Channels TV on Monday,INEC’s ICT Director, Lawrence Bayode, disclosed that the commission has already engaged security agencies and external forensic experts to verify the authenticity of the contents in circulation.
“We are taking this further because even though we have referred this to security agencies, we rely on evidence. We are also going to be engaging a third party, for instance, forensic experts, to look into this,” he said.
He further noted that the commission would not rely on unverified materials in reaching conclusions.
“I will not base my judgments on screenshots. I will not allow that to guide my conclusion,” he added.
Bayode emphasized that the commission is planning to expand its use of technology ahead of the 2027 general elections, noting that digital threats must be addressed early.“
We are going to be deploying technology massively during the 2027 general election. If this is already happening now, then we need to ensure that we do the needful,” he said.
The ICT director described the issue as part of a broader pattern of digital impersonation and misinformation.
“What we are seeing is something bigger. What we are seeing is digital impersonation,” he added
He noted that the account in question had reportedly been renamed at some point, raising further concerns about manipulation.
Speaking on GROK submission,Bayode said Artificial Intelligence should be used as a reliable source for investigations.
“You know, GROK honestly can hallucinate just like any modern artificial intelligence system,” he said
He cautioned netizens on the need to always verify claims and suggestions made by AI tools.
“So yes, any AI system can hallucinate. And so GROK can also hallucinate,” he said.
SERAP demands probe of INEC Chairman previous posts.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project SERAP has urged the National Assembly to conduct. a thorough investigation concerning recent allegations surrounding social media posts linked to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan.
This was revealed in a statement posted on its official X handle on Monday,where the right group called on lawmakers to conduct a fair,impartial, transparent and credible investigation to ascertain the authenticity of the claims.
“The credibility of INEC is essential to the integrity and legitimacy of Nigeria’s electoral process, and any allegations that may undermine this credibility must be promptly, thoroughly, transparently and effectively investigated.”SERAP stated
The right group stressed that no individual,public official or institution is above scrutiny, and the National Assembly has a constitutional duty to ensure that allegations of wrongdoing are not ignored or swept under the carpet.
SERAP further argued that lawmakers also have obligations under international human rights instruments, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which require states to guarantee accountability, transparency and fair processes in governance.
However,the organisation noted that investigation carried out must comply with due process and fair hearing principles and findings should be made public to restore confidence in the electoral system.
“Transparency in the outcome of the investigation is essential to ensuring accountability and restoring public confidence in the electoral process,” SERAP said.
The group warned that failure to address such allegations could deepen public distrust in INEC ahead of future elections, stressing that the independence and impartiality of the commission remain “conditions precedent” for credible polls in Nigeria.
The opposition African Democratic Congress ADC,had earlier called for the resignation of the INEC Chairman following the removal of the factional Chairman of the party Senator David Mark,after an Appeal Court order mandating INEC to maintain the status quo ante bellum in the ongoing party’s crises.
Analysts have faulted Amupitan’s removal of the factional Chairman’s name ahead of court ruling;the opposition had also accused Amupitan as being a tool used by the ruling APC to suppress the opposition.
The Federal Government needs to uphold the sanctity of the electoral umpire to ensure a fair,free and credible elections by conducting an independent and transparent probe into the issue.
