The caption, as seen by TRIBUNE ONLINE, reads:
‘EXPOSED!!! THE NEW INEC CHAIRMAN, AMUPITAN, WAS ONE OF THE LEAD COUNSELS WHO DEFENDED TINUBU AND APC AT THE PRESIDENTIAL TRIBUNAL IN 2023. If the opposition leaders allow this infraction and abnormality to slide, then 2027 is gone. There is no basis for contesting the 2027 election against Tinubu once this appointment is allowed to stay.’
The claim emerged following President Tinubu’s nomination of Prof Amupitan as INEC chairman to fill the vacant position created by Prof Mahmood Yakubu’s exit.
The post had garnered over 100 views at the time of filing this report.
CLAIM
President Tinubu appointed one of his 2023 legal team members as INEC chairman.
VERIFICATION
Findings by TRIBUNE ONLINE show that the claim is FALSE.
Checks revealed that no credible news outlet reported or linked Prof Amupitan to Tinubu’s defense team.
The legal team included Prof Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), a distinguished academic from the University of Lagos, which may have led to confusion due to the similarity in their names and professional backgrounds.
Additionally, a confidential list containing details of Tinubu’s defense team, obtained by our reporter, confirmed that Prof Amupitan’s name was not included.
VERDICT
The claim that Prof Joash Ojo Amupitan was part of President Tinubu’s 2023 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) legal team is FALSE.
Prof Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), a different legal scholar, served on the defense team. This distinction reinforces Prof Amupitan’s apolitical stance in relation to his INEC nomination.