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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

INEC warns against digital impersonation targeting commission

From The Punch · (21h ago) English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that controversial social media posts allegedly linked to its chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, are a result of digital impersonation targeting the institution.
  • INEC's ICT Director, Lawrence Bayode, clarified that the chairman does not have a personal X account and any content attributed to such an account is not recognized by the commission.
  • The commission described the resurfaced posts, including a comment allegedly showing partisan alignment, as part of a coordinated misinformation campaign.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has firmly addressed the controversy surrounding alleged partisan social media posts linked to its chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, identifying the issue as a deliberate act of digital impersonation aimed at discrediting the institution. INEC's ICT Director, Lawrence Bayode, emphasized in a Channels TV interview that the chairman maintains no personal X (formerly Twitter) account, and therefore, any content purportedly originating from such an account is not officially recognized by the commission.

Based on the official statement issued by the Commission sometime last week, the Chairman does not maintain any personal X account. Therefore, any content being attributed to such an account is not recognised by the Commission as originating from it.

— INEC's ICT Director, Lawrence BayodeClarifying the INEC chairman's lack of a personal social media account.

Bayode stressed that this situation transcends an individual, highlighting the broader dangers of misinformation and digital impersonation targeting public bodies. He underscored the critical role of vigilance and fact-checking in a democratic society, stating, "Our duty is to protect truth, verify facts, and ensure Nigerians are not misled. Why? Because in a democracy, trust must be earned."

For me, this is not about an individual. This is about how digital impersonation and misinformation can target public institutions.

— INEC's ICT Director, Lawrence BayodeHighlighting the broader implications of the impersonation incident.

The controversy reignited with the circulation of a 2023 post originally shared by APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, detailing electoral successes. Critics alleged that an account bearing the INEC chairman's name engaged with this post, including a comment stating, "Victory is sure." However, INEC has unequivocally dismissed these claims as "false, baseless and misleading."

Our duty is to protect truth, verify facts, and ensure Nigerians are not misled. Why? Because in a democracy, trust must be earned.

— INEC's ICT Director, Lawrence BayodeEmphasizing the importance of truth and trust in a democracy.

In a statement released Friday, INEC's Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, reiterated that the chairman does not operate any personal X account and has never engaged in partisan political commentary. The commission views the viral screenshot as a component of a calculated misinformation campaign designed to undermine the electoral body's credibility. INEC has also alerted the public to the tactics employed by cybercriminals using fake accounts and impersonation to mislead the populace and is collaborating with security agencies to identify and apprehend those responsible.

The allegation is false, baseless and misleading.

— INEC Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo OketolaDismissing claims of partisan posts linked to the INEC chairman.
Source The Punch Original article in English

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