Pressure is mounting on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, to resign following the circulation of alleged pro-Tinubu tweets linked to him, with the civil society and election observers warning that the controversy could erode public confidence in the commission ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Diaspora Nigerians and the youth wing of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Monday joined in the call for the resignation of the INEC chairman, staging a protest in the commission’s Lagos office and the United Kingdom Parliament, respectively.
A civil society organisation, Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) led by Prof. Pat Utomi, Usman Bugaje, Femi Falana (SAN), Oby Ezekwesili among others, also called on Prof. Amupitan to step aside over what it described as a “crisis of credibility” ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This is as the commission said a forensic investigation found no evidence linking its chairman to the X (Twitter) account, describing the posts as part of a coordinated disinformation campaign aimed at misleading the public.
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In a statement on Monday signed by its Media Coordinator, Comrade James Ezema, the MCE said the current controversy surrounding alleged digital footprints linking the INEC chairman to partisan expressions had raised serious concerns about public trust in the electoral body.
“At this crucial period in Nigeria’s democratic evolution, it is evident that the hands presiding over INEC are, at best, under grave distrust and, at worst, compromised to elicit the credibility required for the conduct of the 2027 elections,” the group said.
It demanded that Amupitan “immediately step aside from his position as Chairman of INEC to allow for a truly independent, transparent, and forensic investigation into the allegations,” urging the federal government to constitute an impartial panel comprising judicial, digital forensic and civil society experts.
The group also called for an end to “all forms of intimidation, harassment, or threats against citizens raising legitimate concerns,” adding that INEC must recommit itself to neutrality through reforms that would restore public confidence.
According to the statement, “Nigeria stands at a democratic crossroads. The integrity of its electoral management body cannot be compromised without grave consequences for credible elections, national stability and legitimacy of governance.”
It added that, “Professor Amupitan must recognise that this is no longer a personal matter of denial—it’s a national question of trust. The only honourable path, consistent with both legal prudence and moral responsibility, is to step aside and submit to the cleansing light of transparent investigation.”
The group argued that recent developments had triggered “a legitimacy crisis of fundamental proportions,” noting that in the digital age, “denial is not a defence—it’s an invitation to forensic scrutiny.”
The MCE further warned that the situation could escalate into legal complications, stressing that digital and financial systems such as BVN and NIN provide traceable ownership structures that could be subjected to judicial processes.
It also expressed concern over what it described as a broader pattern of actions by INEC allegedly undermining opposition participation, including “administrative inconsistencies, selective enforcement of electoral regulations, and operational conduct that cumulatively erode the level playing field required in a multi-party democracy.”
“The aggregation of these concerns lends credence to a disturbing hypothesis: that Nigeria is being subtly but systematically steered toward a de facto one-party and one-man rule,” the group said.
\ Similarly, some Nigerians in the diaspora on Monday staged a protest at the UK Parliament, calling for Amupitan’s removal over concerns about the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
The protesters, who gathered under the banner of Nigerian diaspora groups, said they were worried about the state of the country’s electoral system as the 2027 general elections approach, warning that the credibility of future polls could be undermined if urgent reforms are not taken.
During the demonstration, participants carried placards and chanted slogans demanding transparency and accountability in the conduct of elections, insisting that Nigerians at home and abroad deserve a system they can trust.
One of the protesters said, “Nigeria’s democracy must be protected now to secure a better future,” arguing that asking the INEC chairman to step down was necessary to rebuild public confidence in the electoral body.
He also urged other Nigerians to support ongoing calls for electoral reforms, describing the protest as part of a broader global effort by citizens to demand accountability and strengthen democratic institutions.
The group warned that failure to address the concerns raised could negatively affect voter participation and trust in the electoral system.
ADC youths picket INEC Lagos office
Also, the ADC youths on Monday staged a protest at the INEC office in Yaba, Lagos, demanding the resignation of Prof. Amupitan. The demonstrators, who carried placards with inscriptions such as “ADC is not for sale”, “Amupitan is already compromised” and “Democracy is dialogue, not monologue”, gathered under the watch of security operatives.
The protest was led by the party’s National Deputy Youth Leader, Adeola Olusi, while the National Youth Leader, Balarabe Rufai, had earlier announced the action in a post on X, describing it as part of a coordinated protest tagged “Operation Occupy INEC”.
According to Rufai, the demonstration commenced at the Yaba College of Technology, from where the youths moved to the INEC office to press their demands.
“Lagos ADC Youth Wing has taken a firm and peaceful stand, occupying INEC to deliver a clear message: the rule of law must be respected, due process must be upheld, Amupitan must resign immediately, and the Senator David Mark-led leadership must be restored without delay,” he said.
The protest followed an earlier demonstration in Abuja on April 8 by the ADC leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Senate President David Mark and former Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
Other prominent politicians who participated in the Abuja protest included a presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi as well as former governors Rauf Aregbesola and Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The protests followed INEC’s decision to derecognise factions within the ADC on April 1, citing a March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal which ordered the maintenance of the status quo ante bellum in the party’s leadership crisis.
Remove Amupitan if found to be sympathetic to APC – Farouk Adamu
A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Farouk Adamu Aliyu, in an interview on Trust TV, called for an independent forensic investigation into the allegations involving the INEC chairman, saying the outcome should determine his continued stay in office.
Aliyu, a former member of the House of Representatives, said while the INEC chairman had denied ownership of the disputed X account, the matter required thorough scrutiny to restore public confidence in the electoral body.
“I honestly call for forensic analysis on what this INEC chairman has done. There should be an independent body… somebody should investigate and go to court,” he said.
He added that if the allegations are proven, Amupitan should be removed, stressing that credibility of the electoral umpire is critical to Nigeria’s democracy.
“If it is proven that this man is sympathetic to us, he should be removed. I totally agree… we want somebody that would be fair and be seen to be fair to all and sundry in this country,” he said.
Aliyu also suggested that the National Assembly and civil society organisations should play active roles in resolving the issue, urging opposition lawmakers to sponsor motions and seek judicial intervention.
“The National Assembly should also form a committee to investigate that” adding that “the NGOs should go to court because as a country, we want someone that Nigerians will have confidence in”.
He warned that conducting an election under a cloud of mistrust could trigger instability, noting that even members of the ruling party were concerned about the acceptability of future polls.
“Once you conduct election that people have no confidence in, that will mean Nigeria will be in chaos… we will not allow an INEC chairman that can derail the democracy,” he said.
The APC chieftain, however, emphasised the need for fairness, insisting that allegations against the INEC chairman must be substantiated with credible evidence.
“Let them prove all these allegations against him. If it is proven, then we will call on him to be removed,” he added.
Background to renewed calls
The growing calls for Amupitan’s removal came on the back of viral screenshots of X posts from an account bearing Amupitan’s name, which seemingly expressed support for Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress during the 2023 general elections.
The development triggered public reactions, with some stakeholders questioning the neutrality of the electoral umpire.
Amupitan allegedly wrote “Victory is sure” in response to a tweet by Dayo Isreal, the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with the handle @dayoisreal, during the collation of the February 25, 2023 presidential election results. But his Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, dismissed the allegation as “entirely baseless” and a “fabrication.”
However, a Daily Trust fact-check report shows that a real X account existed under @joashamupitan since 2022 with consistent and traceable digital footprints. It was later renamed, locked and labelled a parody account.
Using OSINT tools and platforms like TweetHunter and X’s internal search systems, it was confirmed that user IDs on X are permanent, even when usernames change. Also, the account retained the @joashamupitan identity for years before the change.
In another analysis, The FactCheckHub said publicly available digital footprints linked to Prof. Joash Amupitan showed notable similarities with the recovery details of the disputed X account, though it cautioned that such indicators were not sufficient to establish ownership.
The platform said it obtained Amupitan’s phone number and email addresses from publicly available sources, including his curriculum vitae published online, noting that “the details are consistent with those being circulated online.” It added that checks using caller identification and fintech records confirmed the phone number was associated with his identity.
As the controversy intensified, INEC announced that it had engaged an independent cybersecurity expert to investigate the account.
INEC clears Amupitan
Oketola, in a statement on Monday, said a comprehensive forensic investigation found no evidence linking Amupitan to any X account, stressing that “all the alleged posts, replies, or statements attributed to him on X are fraudulent, forensically unverifiable, technically impossible, and part of a coordinated disinformation.”
The statement said an independent forensic cybersecurity expert engaged to conduct a multi-layered investigation using platform data, internet archives, open-source intelligence tools, and identity forensics, found no connection between the account and Amupitan.
According to the report, one of the most critical discoveries was a timestamp inconsistency showing that the alleged reply was posted 13 minutes before the original tweet it purportedly responded to.
“No platform can receive a reply before the original post is published. This is physically impossible and the greatest proof that the post and the account were doctored using Artificial Intelligence (AI),” the statement said.
INEC also said checks on the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine revealed no record of the account’s existence or activity prior to April 10, 2026. It further disclosed that the account in question was renamed to @sundayvibe00 on the same day the screenshots went viral, set to private, and labelled as a parody account.
The commission described the move as a “damage-control tactic by an impersonator seeking to eliminate a digital trail,” adding that the parody label amounted to an implicit admission that the account was not genuine.
On claims linking the account to Amupitan’s email and phone number, INEC said forensic tests using official recovery channels on the X platform showed no connection. It stated, “The X platform would have confirmed linkage had any genuine association existed. Therefore, there is no linkage between the email account and the X account.”
The commission also dismissed attempts to use bank verification and data breach records as proof, describing such conclusions as “a logical fallacy, not forensic proof.” It added that historical data breaches cited by those promoting the claim did not identify any specific X handle or establish ownership of the disputed account.
Beyond the X platform, INEC said it uncovered a broader impersonation pattern involving multiple fake Facebook and Instagram accounts using Prof. Amupitan’s identity, suggesting “a sustained and coordinated impersonation operation.”
The commission concluded that “the forensic evidence is comprehensive, multi-sourced, and unambiguous,” adding that one of the independent investigators described the case as “a coordinated digital impersonation and disinformation campaign.”
It urged the public and media organisations to verify social media content before sharing or publishing, warning that advances in artificial intelligence have made it easier to fabricate convincing digital materials.
The commission said the forensic report had been forwarded to law enforcement agencies for further action, calling for those behind the alleged impersonation to be identified and prosecuted under relevant cybercrime laws.
Nigerians question INEC report
Reactions have trailed INEC’s exoneration of its chairman over alleged partisan social media activity. Many Twitter users dismissed the commission’s forensic investigation report that cleared Amupitan of owning or operating the X account @joashamupitan.
Critics questioned the independence of the probe, the credibility of its findings, and the explanation that the account was fabricated, with some insisting that the timestamps, edited tweets by Dayo Israel, and the linked phone number and email make the denial unconvincing.
@judefash wrote, “So who are the persons who conducted this investigation? Second, what are their qualifications and were they paid to do this job?
“If this is the meaning of an investigation, then we are done for. Even 15-year-olds would do better than this.”
@just_rex01stated, “INEC has once again stooped low in its attempt to defend a case that is already lost. There is nothing in your findings that proves Amupitan’s account was fabricated. No evidence was presented showing that the phone number or email did not correspond.
@speakout24 tagged the investigation “FALSE,” saying, “We are not fools here. First, I find it funny that INEC is conducting a forensic investigation on INEC chairman. That’s laughable.
“Second, you claim the account of Prof Joash Amupitan commented 13 minutes before the original post. It’s so simple, a video recording can’t be fabricated.
“Dayo Isreal made 2 posts on 18th March 2023. He later corrected some things by editing some words and tweeted the new “If you check the second image, it’s a screenshot of when Dayo Isreal made the first tweet which was 16:02 which is approximately 4:02PM.
“Three minutes later, Prof Joash Amupitan commented, “VICTORY IS SURE” under the old version of the tweet. He commented by 4:05PM. This means he commented 3 minutes later after the old version of the tweet was made.
“Note that there were 2 versions and Prof Joash Amupitan commented on the old version of the tweet. Not the new version. To support my further claim, I commented under the tweet the same day the discovery was made, which was 10th April. It still shows that it’s the old version of the tweet he commented on. Now check the tags username, it was @joashamupitan.”
Another user, Chuks (@Chuks88NC), expressed frustration, saying, “What is wrong with you people? Will you die if you say the truth and be credible for once in your lives?”
Similarly, Obolo Igbayemi said, “The INEC forensic findings… already hint at what 2027 could look like. If this is the starting point, then 2027 needs serious attention.”
@just_rex01 said, “There is nothing in your findings that proves Amupitan’s account was fabricated… Amupitan must go.”
(Daily Trust)
