A civil society organisation, the Foundation for Digital Justice, has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission before a Federal High Court in Lagos over its alleged refusal to release details of a forensic investigation into an X (formerly Twitter) account linked to its chairman, Joash Amupitan.
The suit, marked FHC/LAG/CS/890/2026, challenges INEC’s failure to disclose the identity and report of a forensic cybersecurity expert it engaged to probe the controversial social media account.
According to court documents, the foundation is seeking a declaration that the commission’s refusal to provide the requested information violates provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, as well as Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution.
The dispute stems from an April Freedom of Information request filed by the group, demanding a certified true copy of the forensic report and details of the expert or firm commissioned by INEC to investigate the account, @joashamupitan.
The electoral body had, in response to a viral social media controversy, announced that its forensic findings showed the account and its contents were fake and “forensically unverifiable,” describing the situation as a case of digital impersonation.
The controversy erupted after screenshots circulated online suggesting that Amupitan operated the account and made a partisan comment—“Victory is sure”—in reaction to a post by Dayo Israel. Additional claims were bolstered by alleged leaks of personal data, including phone numbers and bank verification details.
However, the foundation insists that despite INEC’s public position, the commission failed to comply with its FOI request within the statutory seven-day period and did not provide any formal explanation for the denial.
Part of the court filing reads, “The respondent refused to release the requested information within seven days after receiving the FOI application and did not issue any written notice stating reasons for the refusal.”
The group argued that the information sought is not exempt under the FOI Act and that INEC’s action amounts to a “gross violation” of transparency laws.
It is therefore asking the court to compel the commission to release the full forensic report and disclose the identity and professional profile of the cybersecurity expert involved in the investigation.
The case has been assigned to Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
The suit adds a new legal dimension to ongoing concerns over digital misinformation, electoral transparency, and accountability in Nigeria’s democratic process.
FOLLOW US
FOR MORE HERE
More details here...
