The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that its ongoing investigation into alleged digital impersonation has uncovered multiple social media accounts reportedly bearing the name of its chairman, with some dating as far back as 2018.
This disclosure was made on Monday during an interview on Channels Television by Lawrence Bayode on Monday April 13, 2026, who is overseeing the commission’s technical inquiry into the controversy involving INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan.
Bayode said the discovery emerged from an internal probe initiated after allegations surfaced regarding a disputed X (formerly Twitter) account said to be associated with the INEC chairman and allegedly linked to partisan political content.
He explained that the investigation had expanded beyond the initial platform, revealing a broader pattern of online identities connected to the chairman’s name across multiple platforms.
“Throughout the investigation we have been conducting since Friday, we have found multiple social media accounts in his name on Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms —some created as far back as 2018,” Bayode stated.
According to him, the timeline of some of the accounts predating Amupitan’s tenure as INEC chairman has become a key focus of the inquiry, as it raises questions about possible impersonation or long-term identity misuse in digital spaces.
Bayode added that the commission is working with security agencies and external forensic experts to verify the authenticity and origins of the accounts as part of a wider digital integrity review.
The development comes amid heightened public scrutiny over INEC’s neutrality, following online claims suggesting partisan activity linked to the disputed accounts ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC has maintained that it will rely strictly on verified forensic evidence, not online screenshots or unverified claims, in determining the outcome of its investigation……See More
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