PRESSURE is intensifying on Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to resign.
The pressure from civil society groups, particularly election observers and opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), follows the circulation of alleged social media posts from an account bearing his name that appeared to express support for President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The groups warned that the controversy threatens to undermine public trust in the electoral body ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On Monday, the youth wing of the ADC and Nigerians in the diaspora joined the chorus of calls for Amupitan’s removal.
The ADC youths staged a peaceful protest outside INEC’s Lagos office, while diaspora groups demonstrated at the United Kingdom Parliament. Both actions demanded the chairman’s immediate resignation.
Separately, a coalition of civil society organisations under the banner of the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE), which includes prominent figures such as Pat Utomi, Usman Bugaje, Femi Falana (SAN), and Oby Ezekwesili, called on Amupitan to step aside.
The MCE described the situation as a “crisis of credibility” facing the commission just months before the 2027 elections.
In a statement signed by its media coordinator, James Ezema, the group argued that the controversy had raised serious concerns about public trust.
“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,” the statement read.
The MCE demanded that Amupitan step aside immediately to allow for “a truly independent, transparent, and forensic investigation” into the allegations.
The group also urged the federal government to constitute an impartial panel of judicial, digital forensic, and civil society activists, and called for an end to intimidation of citizens raising legitimate concerns.
“Professor Amupitan must recognise that this is no longer a personal matter of denial – it’s a national question of trust,” the MCE added.
Meanwhile, INEC has rejected all calls for the chairman’s resignation. In a statement on Monday, the commission’s Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, announced that a comprehensive forensic investigation had found no evidence linking Amupitan to the disputed X (formerly Twitter) account.
The commission described the posts as part of a coordinated disinformation campaign aimed at misleading the public.
According to INEC, an independent cybersecurity expert conducted a multi-layered investigation using platform data, internet archives, and open-source intelligence tools.
One critical discovery, the commission said, was a timestamp inconsistency: the alleged reply from Amupitan’s account appeared to have been posted thirteen minutes before the original tweet it was responding to – a technical impossibility.
INEC also noted that the account had been renamed, set to private, and labelled as a parody account on the same day the screenshots went viral. The commission concluded that the evidence pointed to “a sustained and coordinated impersonation operation” and said the forensic report had been forwarded to law enforcement agencies for further action.
However, the commission’s findings have been met with widespread skepticism. Many Nigerians on social media questioned the independence of the probe and the credibility of its explanations.
Critics pointed to the existence of digital footprints – including a phone number and email address linked to Amupitan in publicly available records – as well as archived screenshots showing the account’s activity dating back to 2022.
One user, @speakout24, provided a detailed timeline arguing that the reply in question had been made three minutes after an earlier version of a tweet by APC youth leader, Dayo Israel, not thirteen minutes before.
Another user, @just_rex01, wrote: “There is nothing in your findings that proves Amupitan’s account was fabricated. Amupitan must go.”
Others dismissed the investigation as a whitewash, with @Chuks88NC asking: “Will you die if you say the truth and be credible for once in your lives?”
