ABUJA — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed allegations linking its chairman to a partisan X (formerly Twitter) account, following the outcome of a detailed forensic investigation which found the claims to be entirely fabricated.
In a statement issued by the commission, INEC said the viral social media posts suggesting that its chairman operated an account used to make politically biased comments were the result of a coordinated impersonation campaign designed to mislead the public.
According to the findings, the account in question was neither created nor operated by the INEC chairman. Investigators established that the handle had no connection to any of his official contact details, including verified email addresses or phone numbers.
Further technical analysis revealed inconsistencies that undermined the credibility of the viral content. Notably, a widely circulated screenshot showed a reply appearing before the original post an occurrence experts described as digitally impossible within the architecture of the X platform.
The commission also disclosed that the account underwent multiple alterations, including changes to its name and privacy settings, before eventually being labeled as a parody account. This, INEC said, points to deliberate efforts to evade detection while amplifying false narratives.
INEC maintained that its chairman does not operate any personal account on X, urging the public to rely solely on verified communication channels for official information.
Describing the incident as part of a broader wave of disinformation, the commission warned that such actions pose a threat to public trust in democratic institutions. It added that security agencies have been engaged to trace those responsible, with a view to prosecuting offenders under applicable cybercrime laws.
The electoral body reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and credibility, stressing that it will not tolerate attempts to undermine its leadership or processes through digital manipulation.