INEC denies presidency coordination over viral press statement row

The Independent National Electoral Commission has rejected allegations that it copied a press statement from a presidential aide, describing reports to that effect as “fake, misleading, and a misrepresentation of facts.”

The controversy arose after INEC reposted a statement originally issued to debunk claims that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, had endorsed a partisan post on X or maintained a personal account on the platform.

The statement, signed by the Chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola on April 10, described the allegations as “entirely baseless” and warned of cybercriminals using fake accounts in the Chairman’s name.

However, the Peoples Gazette on Sunday reported that Dada Olusegun, a Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on New Media, had posted a similar or identical statement hours before INEC’s publication. The report, titled “Nigerians react as INEC reposts Tinubu aide’s message,” cited public reactions accusing the electoral body of copying content and raising questions about its independence.

Social media users claimed the wording was verbatim and suggested coordination with the Presidency.

One X user, @Mrfestusogun, noted that “Dada Olusegun posted an INEC press statement 23 hours before INEC even posted it,” while another, @adeyanjudeji, wrote that “the president’s SA on media is the one helping the INEC chairman to debunk allegations of partisanship.”

In a rebuttal posted on its official X handle on Sunday, INEC maintained that it did not copy the statement from any third party.

“Any circulation of the statement outside the Commission’s official channels was done independently and not coordinated by INEC,” the commission said.

“INEC’s repost of the statement was solely to amplify accurate information earlier released from the Commission and should not be misconstrued as alignment with any individual or political office holder.”

The commission reaffirmed its non-partisan stance and urged the public to disregard what it called misleading interpretations of its actions, advising Nigerians to rely solely on its verified official channels for accurate information.

The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of INEC’s leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections, with recent controversies including the commission’s derecognition of ADC leadership, which drew criticism from opposition parties and renewed calls for Amupitan’s resignation.