INEC Denies Copying Tinubu Aide’s Statement Amid Independence Row

INEC is scrambling to contain the fallout after social media users noticed what looks like a copy-paste job between its press office and the Presidency.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied allegations that it copied a press statement from Dada Olusegun, a Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on New Media, calling the claims “fake, misleading, and a misrepresentation of facts.”

The trouble started after INEC issued a statement on April 10, 2026, dismissing suggestions that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, maintained a personal X account or endorsed a partisan post online. The commission’s Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, called the allegations “entirely baseless” and warned against impersonation and fake accounts.

But Peoples Gazette reported that Olusegun had posted a strikingly similar message hours before INEC’s official publication. Screenshots spread across X showing the two statements side by side, and the resemblance was hard to ignore.

Social media spots the overlap

X users were quick to draw their own conclusions. Festus Ogun wrote: “Dada Olusegun posted an INEC press statement 23 hours before INEC even posted it.” Adeyanju Deji went further, alleging that “the president’s SA on media is the one helping the INEC chairman to debunk allegations of partisanship.”

The timing and near-identical wording raised real questions about the independence of an electoral body that is supposed to sit above politics, especially with 2027 general elections approaching.

INEC pushes back

INEC insisted it did not copy any external statement and that its communication was independently issued through official channels. It said any circulation outside its platforms was not coordinated with any individual or political actor.

“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 said.

It added that it “remains strictly non-partisan” and urged the public to rely only on its verified channels for accurate updates.

Why people care

For many Nigerians, this goes beyond a press statement. INEC’s credibility has been under scrutiny since the 2023 general elections, and any perceived coordination with the ruling party, even on something as routine as a press release, reinforces doubts about the commission’s independence.

With preparations already underway for the 2027 polls, every move INEC makes is being watched closely. Incidents like this only deepen public distrust.

INEC says the matter is closed. On Nigerian social media, the conversation tells a different story.

Sources: Vanguard, Peoples Gazette, Punch, NaijaNews