The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has raised concerns over the integrity of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, following controversy surrounding an alleged X (formerly Twitter) account linked to him, which he has reportedly denied ownership of.
Speaking on Channels Televisionās Sunday Politics, Adebayo said the issue goes beyond technical arguments and touches on public confidence in Nigeriaās electoral body.
He said that if the account is eventually traced to Amupitan and denied by him, it would raise serious questions about integrity and trust in public office.
According to him, while digital content can be manipulated, modern forensic tools are capable of determining the true ownership of online accounts.
āIt is well known that in the digital space, you could manipulate anything, but there is forensic tracing of identity,ā Adebayo said.
He added that the matter could be resolved either through a court process or a legislative inquiry by the National Assembly, particularly through relevant INEC oversight committees.
However, Adebayo clarified that even if the account is proven to belong to Amupitan, it would not automatically disqualify him from holding office under existing laws, as past political activity does not necessarily violate eligibility requirements.
He stressed that the key issue is honesty and maintaining public trust in the electoral process, warning that any perception of dishonesty could undermine confidence in the commission.
āIn a simple matter like this, if you are already lying to the public and we are to trust you with determining election outcomes, then it becomes a question of integrity,ā he added.
