The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (Social Democratic Party), Adewole Adebayo, and technology expert Gbenga Sesan have offered contrasting views on the controversy surrounding an alleged X (formerly Twitter) account linked to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (Independent National Electoral Commission), Prof. Joash Amupitan.
The discussion came during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where Adebayo argued that digital evidence can be verified through forensic investigation. He noted that while online content can be manipulated, ownership of accounts can still be traced using legal and legislative processes. He added that even if the account were confirmed to belong to Amupitan, it would not automatically disqualify him from holding office, provided he was not a member of any political party at the time of appointment.
However, he stressed that integrity would become a central issue if the account is proven authentic and denied by the INEC chairman, stating that dishonesty could raise concerns about his suitability for the role.
On his part, Sesan questioned INEC’s outright denial of the existence of such an account, urging deeper scrutiny of available digital evidence. He referenced archived online records that suggest a handle resembling the INEC chairman’s name may have existed in the past, pointing to tools like the Wayback Machine as potential sources of verification.
He also explained that social media accounts are typically tied to verified email addresses or phone numbers, suggesting that such data could help establish ownership. Sesan further criticised INEC’s response, arguing that dismissing the allegations outright could intensify public suspicion rather than resolve the issue.
The controversy centres on claims that an X account allegedly linked to Amupitan shared politically supportive content during the 2023 general elections. While some critics have called for an investigation, others have dismissed the claims as politically motivated.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has denied that its chairman operates any personal X account, describing the allegations as false and part of a coordinated attempt to discredit the commission’s neutrality. It also stated that it is working with security agencies to identify those behind the alleged fake accounts.
Amupitan was nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in October 2025 and later confirmed by the Senate as the head of the electoral body.
