The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed claims linking its Chairman, Joash Amupitan, to a social media account on .
The denial comes after images surfaced online showing a post from March 2023 by an account bearing the handle @joashamupitan, which appeared to celebrate the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a community.
The account was later renamed, restricted, and described as a parody following the spread of the images.
In a statement released by the Chairman’s media office, the Commission said it had been alerted to a coordinated spread of false information online suggesting that Amupitan once reacted to a partisan post on the platform.
INEC said that the Chairman does not own or manage any personal account on and has never taken part in political commentary.
The Commission explained that the alleged post being circulated is fabricated and aimed at damaging the Chairman’s image at a time when INEC is working on electoral reforms and preparing for future elections.
It added that the claim is intended to create doubt about the neutrality of the electoral body.
INEC also raised concerns about fake accounts created in the Chairman’s name, noting that such accounts have been used in the past to deceive Nigerians.
According to the Commission, several of these accounts have already been reported to security agencies, and the latest incident follows a pattern of online fraud and impersonation.
The statement further revealed that INEC is working with security agencies and cyber experts to track down those behind the fake posts and identity theft.
It warned that those responsible will face legal action, stressing that such acts are punishable under Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act.
The Commission urged the public to ignore the circulating claims and rely only on official INEC channels for verified information.
It maintained that it remains focused on its duty to conduct free and fair elections across the country.
Amupitan, who assumed office as INEC Chairman in October 2025, has recently faced criticism from some groups questioning his neutrality ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC, however, insisted that the allegations are unfounded and part of attempts to mislead the public.
