The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed allegations linking its Chairman, Joash Amupitan, to a controversial social media account, following a comprehensive forensic and cybersecurity investigation.

According to the report commissioned by INEC, the claims were described as “fabricated, technically impossible and part of a coordinated disinformation campaign.”

The investigation, which utilised data analysis from X, as well as Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) tools, internet archive records, and timestamp verification, found that Prof. Amupitan does not operate any personal account on the platform.

A key finding of the report stated: “The X account attributed to Prof. Amupitan is a clear case of impersonation. All alleged posts, replies or statements linked to him are fraudulent and unverifiable.”

Further analysis revealed that the disputed account was created in September 2022 but bore no connection to the professor’s verified email addresses or official institutional affiliations.

One of the most significant discoveries involved timestamp inconsistencies in a viral post attributed to the account.

“The alleged reply ‘Victory is sure’ was posted 13 minutes before the original post it responded to. This is physically impossible on any digital platform,” the report noted.

Investigators also confirmed that the supposed reply does not exist on the live platform or in any archived records.

“The reply has never existed on X. It is absent from both live threads and historical records,” the report added.

Checks on the Wayback Machine further showed no trace of the account or any related activity prior to April 2026.

The investigation also uncovered what it described as a “deliberate impersonation pattern,” reinforcing conclusions that the allegations were part of a coordinated attempt to mislead the public.

INEC maintained that the findings exonerate its chairman and urged the public to disregard false information circulating online.