In a rebuttal statement, INEC said it did not copy its recent press release from any individual, organisation, or external source.
It added that any circulation of the statement outside its official channels was not coordinated with any political office or person.
The Commission also dismissed a report by Nigeria online publisher titled Nigerians react as INEC reposts Tinubu aide’s message, describing it as false, misleading, and a misrepresentation of facts.
INEC explained that its repost of the statement was only meant to amplify accurate information earlier released by the Commission itself and should not be interpreted as alignment with any individual or political office holder.
It maintained that it remains strictly non partisan and urged the public to disregard misleading interpretations being circulated online.
However, public timelines shared online show that the earliest version of the press statement was posted by Dada Olusegun, Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Social Media, on April 10, 2026 at 8PM GMT+1.
INEC later published an identical version of the same statement on its official X and Facebook accounts on April 11, 2026 at 6:16PM GMT+1.
Based on these publicly available timestamps, the Presidential aide’s post appears to have come before INEC’s publication of the same wording.
The statements are identical in wording, structure, and messaging, and this similarity has fueled public debate, with some observers suggesting that denying the connection could further affect public confidence in INEC, although the Commission continues to reject any allegation of copying or coordination.
The development has generated public discussion online over the timing and similarity of the statements, while INEC continues to deny any copying or coordination.
