INEC Clears Prof. Amupitan of Social Media Impersonation

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted a forensic investigation that exonerated Prof. Joash Amupitan from allegations of operating a fake social media account on X (formerly Twitter) that made partisan posts.

The investigation revealed that the account, created in September 2022, was part of a coordinated disinformation campaign and had no connection to Amupitan's official email or phone number. INEC's Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, emphasized the importance of verifying social media content and warned against spreading unverifiable information.

The investigation found that the account was designed to impersonate Amupitan and had been renamed to obscure its digital trace. INEC referred the matter to law enforcement for further investigation and potential prosecution under cybercrime laws.

The commission urged social media platforms to enhance their response mechanisms to tackle impersonation of public officials and reaffirmed that Prof. Amupitan does not operate any personal social media accounts.