Damning IT Analysis Exposes Flaws in INEC Report That Cleared Chairman Amupitan

Pressure is mounting on the Independent National Electoral Commission after a forensic investigation cleared its chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, of owning a partisan social media account. However, the probe has been widely condemned as a shameless cover up by critics who say it only deepens a crisis of credibility for the nation’s electoral umpire.

The controversy began on April 10, 2026, when screenshots surfaced online alleging that Amupitan operated an X account under the handle @joashamupitan. In the viral post, the account had replied “Victory is sure” to a user celebrating an All Progressives Congress victory in Lagos during the 2023 elections. Following public outcry, the account was renamed to @sundayvibe00, locked, and labelled a parody account. In response, the commission said it commissioned an independent forensic expert whose investigation concluded the chairman had no link to the account.

But many Nigerians have rejected the report, accusing the commission of acting as a judge in its own case. Human rights activist and lawyer Femi Falana was among the prominent figures who signed a statement demanding the chairman step aside immediately. The Movement for Credible Elections warned that the hands presiding over the electoral body are under grave distrust and compromised to elicit the credibility required for the 2027 elections.

READ ALSO: Nigeria’s Electoral Body Under Fire as INEC Chairman Faces Allegations of Digital Footprint Linked to Pro-Tinubu Political Perception

Adding to the fury, IT experts have publicly dismantled the forensic report’s central claim. The commission insisted the reply was posted 13 minutes before the original post, declaring it physically impossible on any digital platform. But fact checkers have exposed this as a false conclusion, showing the original post was made at 4:02 pm and later edited at 4:18 pm. The viral reply was timestamped at 4:05 pm, meaning it was made after the original post but before it was edited.

This is not the only controversy engulfing the commission. The New Nigeria Peoples Party has accused INEC of disobeying a court order directing it to recognise the party’s legitimate leadership. The party warned that the commission’s conduct constitutes a threat to democracy in Nigeria. This week, diaspora Nigerians also staged a protest at the United Kingdom Parliament, while civil society groups rallied at the commission’s Lagos office, demanding the chairman’s immediate removal.

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