The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)) are supposed to be independent and non-partisan, as they are involved in the country’s elections. However, recent events are proving that might not be the case.
Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, the chairman of INEC, faced accusations of partisanship due to his previous tweets supporting Tinubu’s government.
Prof. Joash Amupitan’s Previous Tweets Supporting Tinubu and APC
On March 17, 2023, a Twitter user, Okodoro Oro, alleged that supporters of Peter Obi misused an old image of a bloodied man to defame Lagos State lawmaker Desmond Elliot. Amupitan commented, saying: “They are evil in the 24th century.” 
The following day, reacting to APC National Youth Leader Dayo Israel’s tweet about a victory in an “Igbo-dominated” area, Amupitan expressed confidence in the APC’s success with the comment, “Victory is sure.”
On April 25, 2023, when a Tinubu support account celebrated his airport reception, Amupitan responded with “Asiwaju”.
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Fact-Checked
In response to these allegations, INEC said the chairman never had a Twitter account, but a community note has debunked that claim and linked his email and phone number to a former X account.
Another controversy arose when INEC’s statement was copied verbatim from a statement by the Special Assistant to the Nigerian President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun. While they tried to deny it, it was fact-checked that he posted it before them.
These actions raise eyebrows regarding the independence of the body responsible for elections. They seem to be working in close cohorts with the present administration; how can they perform a free and fair election next year?
Many Nigerians are calling for his resignation.
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