Senate President Godswill Akpabio has defended the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, over allegations of partisan bias linked to a resurfaced social media post.
The controversy followed claims circulating online that Amupitan operated a personal account on X and used it to endorse or engage with a politically aligned message.
Speaking on Tuesday at the inauguration of the corporate headquarters of the National Revenue Service in Abuja, Akpabio dismissed the allegations, maintaining that the post in question was neutral and had been misinterpreted.
“They brought out a tweet where they said the chairman of INEC said victory is sure. But he didn’t say victory is sure for APC. He did not say victory is sure for PDP. He just said victory is sure,” Akpabio said.
He further clarified that the post was made before Amupitan assumed office as INEC chairman, noting that he was a lecturer at the time.
“And the man said that it’s manipulated. Nobody wants to hear. But for me, whether it is manipulated or not, he said ‘victory is sure’,” Akpabio said.
”He was not chairman of INEC. He was just a mere lecturer. Anybody can support anybody who he wishes to.”
While defending the INEC chairman, Akpabio emphasised the importance of neutrality in public office.
“But when you are on a seat, you have to think of the entire country and all the populace. And that’s what they are doing,” he said.
The issue stems from a 2023 post originally shared by Dayo Israel, APC national youth leader, which recently resurfaced online. Critics linked it to an account allegedly associated with Amupitan that responded with the phrase “Victory is sure”.
However, INEC has consistently denied the claims, describing them as false and part of a coordinated misinformation campaign.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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