THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied allegations that it copied a recent press statement from a Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on New Media, Dada Olusegun, describing reports suggesting otherwise as “fake, misleading and a misrepresentation of facts.”
The followed INEC’s reposting of a press 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 (CPS), Adedayo Oketola, on April 10, this year, described the allegations as “entirely baseless” and a “fabrication,” warning of cybercriminals using fake accounts in his boss’ name.
Olusegun had posted a similar or identical statement hours before INEC’s publication, in a report, titled, ‘Nigerians react as INEC reposts Tinubu aide’s message,’ citing public reactions accusing the Commossion of copying content and raising questions about its independence, with some social media users claiming the wording was verbatim and suggesting coordination with the Presidency.
However, INEC, in a statement on its official X handle on Sunday, April 12, insisted it did not copy the statement from any third party.
According to it: “Any circulation of the statement outside the Commission’s official channels was done independently and not coordinated by INEC.
“The (media) publication is fake, misleading and a misrepresentation of facts.”
“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 remains strictly non-partisan and urges the public to disregard misleading interpretations of its actions.”
The electoral body urged Nigerians to rely solely on its verified official channels for accurate information.
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