Fresh calls for the resignation of Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, as the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have intensified after indications emerged suggesting political bias.
This comes after an X account allegedly owned by INEC Chairman Amupitan had previously endorsed a post supporting the election of President Bola Tinubu on the X platform.
The account declared that “victory is sure” for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in March 2023.
The post on the X account emerged on Friday but was immediately deleted a few minutes after it started making rounds.
However, despite the deletion, fresh indications showed Amupitan’s Yahoo mail and phone number are linked to the same X
Further checks revealed that the account was registered using the email address amu***[email protected] — the same email listed on a curriculum vitae attributed to Mr Amupitan. The CV also included his previous institutional email, amu***[email protected], from his time as a professor at the University of Jos.
To verify the amu***[email protected] email address, Yahoo asked to send notifications to the linked phone number, 0803***4099, the same line linked to an Opay customer account with username “Joash Ojo Amupitan.”
Opay accounts usually comprise a customer’s phone number without the first zero. In this case, 8035074099, the account user is listed as Joash Ojo Amupitan.
Meanwhile, the office of the Chairman of the INEC has denounced an X account associated with Amupitan.
INEC said that Amupitan does not have an X account, describing it as a malicious and orchestrated smear campaign circulating on social media against the INEC boss.
The Commission said it wished to assert unequivocally that the allegation was completely unfounded, a total fabrication, and a mere figment of the imagination of those spreading it.
“To clarify, the INEC Chairman does not possess or manage any personal account on X.
“He has never engaged in partisan commentary, nor has he ever aligned himself with any political bias or activity in either his private or public roles,” the statement signed by Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, said.
According to INEC, the fabricated post represents a desperate attempt to tarnish the integrity and impartiality of Amupitan during a crucial time when the Commission is concentrating on electoral reforms and preparations for forthcoming elections.
The statement added, “In addition to this partisan mischief, the Commission is aware that cybercriminals have been active, using fraudulent social media accounts in the Chairman’s name to deceive unsuspecting Nigerians.
“We would like to officially state that numerous such fraudulent accounts have been identified and reported to security agencies in the past. This latest fabrication is simply a continuation of a criminal trend aimed at exploiting the Commission’s reputation for unlawful purposes.”
It said the Commission will not fold its hands while the character of its leadership is being attacked by digital impostors and troublemakers.
“We wish to inform the public that we are collaborating closely with relevant security agencies and cyber-intelligence units to track down and identify the individuals or groups responsible for this identity theft and misinformation,” it stated.
INEC warned that it would take all necessary measures to ensure that the fraudsters are held accountable under the law.
It said, “Those who engage in such activities will be identified and prosecuted, serving as a warning to others who may think that the digital realm is a refuge for unlawful behavior.”
