The storm that has swirled across social media, attempting to link the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Ojo Amupitan, to alleged partisan comments, is now steadily unravelling under the weight of real evidence, not screenshots stripped of context.
What began as a viral claim centred on a purported 2023 post, allegedly showing an X account @joashamupitan replying “Victory is sure” to Dayo Israel, has since been subjected to detailed forensic analysis. The result is a growing consensus among independent investigators: the narrative does not hold.
At the centre of this reversal is an April 12, 2026 investigative report by TrojanBeast, a digital intelligence platform that examined the origins and evolution of the controversial account. Its findings point not to misconduct, but to manipulation.
According to the report, the X handle @joashamupitan, created in 2022, underwent a sudden and suspicious transformation around April 10, 2026. It was renamed to @sundayvibe00, switched to private, labelled as a “parody,” and had its historical content effectively concealed. Shortly thereafter, the handle was reclaimed, severing visible ties to its past. This sequence, TrojanBeast notes, mirrors established tactics used in digital impersonation and identity obfuscation.
Crucially, exhaustive real-time checks found no trace of the alleged “Victory is sure” post on the current account. The handle @sundayvibe00 is now operated by Coy Emerald, a Lagos-based cybersecurity specialist, who confirms that the account was newly established using open-source intelligence protocols to prevent misuse. Its activity, beginning only between April 11 and 12, is strictly limited to cybersecurity content.
TrojanBeast’s findings extend beyond a single account. The report uncovers a broader and more troubling pattern, multiple fake profiles bearing Prof. Amupitan’s name across Facebook and Instagram, some dating back to as early as 2018, years before he was appointed INEC Chairman in October 2025. These accounts exhibit classic signs of coordinated impersonation, including recycled profile images, inconsistent naming patterns, and suspicious modifications over time.
One Instagram account, notably using a misspelled variation of his name, was found to share identical profile images with previously flagged Facebook accounts, an established tactic in digital identity fraud.
Taken together, the evidence paints a clear picture: not of a public official engaging in partisan conduct, but of a sustained attempt to fabricate a digital trail.
This conclusion is reinforced by independent cybersecurity analysis conducted by Coy Emerald, who also examined claims linking specific email addresses to the controversial X accounts. His findings were unequivocal: there is no verifiable digital connection between the emails and the accounts being circulated online.
The position of INEC remains consistent. The Commission has stated that Joash Ojo Amupitan does not operate any personal social media accounts and has described the allegations as fabrications arising from criminal impersonation, a matter already referred to security agencies.
Interestingly, this unfolding episode echoes a recent warning by the INEC Chairman himself. Speaking at the 81st Assembly of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, Prof. Amupitan cautioned that in the 2027 General Election, “the most dangerous weapon will not be a ballot-snatcher’s gun, but a smartphone user’s lie amplified by uncritical media outlets.” In many ways, the current controversy reflects that very danger—where misinformation, once released into the digital wild, gathers momentum faster than truth can catch up.
TrojanBeast’s final assessment is direct: the alleged 2023 post cannot be credibly traced to the INEC Chairman, and the digital evidence presented in the public domain is compromised by account manipulation and identity fraud.
In a media environment where speed often outruns scrutiny, this episode stands as a cautionary tale. Screenshots can be edited, accounts can be repurposed, and narratives can be engineered. But facts, when patiently uncovered, have a way of restoring balance.
