{
  "id": 19770272,
  "title": "I never owned pro-Tinubu X account – INEC chairman",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/i-never-owned-pro-tinubu-x-account-inec-chairman",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-13T07:06:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/i-never-owned-pro-tinubu-x-account-inec-chairman/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Chairman of Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has denied having a Twitter (X) account used to express support for President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 general election. Amupitan made the denial during a dialogue in London, organized by Chatham House in collaboration with the Kimpact Development Initiative. The discussion was titled, \"Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.\"\n\nWhen questioned about an independent investigation determining his innocence, Amupitan stated that such a report exists and that the matter was also reported to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector-General of Police. He further clarified that he had never owned an X account, explaining that his attempts to contact the platform were unsuccessful since he is not a user.\n\nAmupitan added that some civil society organizations expressed interest in investigating the allegation. He also mentioned that the controversy emerged around the time of a court ruling concerning the African Democratic Congress and the concept of \"status quo ante bellum.\" The chairman suggested that the timing of the controversy might have been deliberate, intended to discredit him and undermine the Electoral Commission.\n\nThe INEC chief dismissed other previous allegations against him, including claims that he was a member of Tinubu's legal team and that he made false statements about his educational background. He said that these allegations were investigated by the DSS and the police and found to be unfounded.\n\nAmupitan expressed confidence in INEC's preparations for the 2027 general elections, stating that the exercise would be one in which Nigerians would be proud. The controversy began with allegations that an X account belonging to Amupitan had expressed support for the APC during the 2023 election. The account reportedly responded to a post by Dayo Israel, an ex-APC National Youth Leader, celebrating the party's victory in a predominantly Igbo community in Lagos.",
  "summary": "INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has denied owning a pro-Tinubu X account, stating the matter has been reported to the DSS and the police. Read More: https://punchng.com/i-never-owned-pro-tinubu-x-account-inec-chairman/",
  "key_points": [
    "Prof. Joash Amupitan, INEC chairman, denies owning a pro-Tinubu X account",
    "Independent investigation report exists, reported to DSS and police",
    "Controversy timed with court ruling on African Democratic Congress"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The chairman's forceful rejection of political bias allegations serves as a defense against efforts to undermine the electoral commission's perceived neutrality ahead of the upcoming 2027 general elections.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}