How INEC used servers for 2019 polls – ICT experts

YOLA, Adamawa, Nigeria – A group of internect experts under the auspices of joint committee of information technology and legal experts has claimed to have incontrovertible evidence that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) procured and deployed servers in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja during the 2019 general election.

The group is making the revelation even as INEC insisted it did not use servers for the election even when money was budgeted for servers, followed by public proclamations by officials of INEC that it will transmit data electronically through data capture machines that would be deplored prior to the presidential and governorship election.

At a meeting with Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria in Abuja prior to the election, INEC Chairman, Professor Yakubu Mahmood assured of INEC’s commitment to make the 2019 general elections better than the 2015 general elections.

He observed that the visit of the body to INEC was timely considering the plans by the Commission to deploy technology in the collation and transmission of election results.

Speaking in Yola, the groups, Deservation and Pukka Initiative presented a document that showed how and when INEC servers were procured, installed and put to use.

Dr. Sani Adamu, who spoke for the two groups, said, “Apart from the incontrovertible facts our IT and legal teams have in their possession, and ready to bring to the attention of the tribunal, I wish to present to you another evidence obtainable by FoI.”

He explained that Professor Yakubu Mahmood openly declared “we are pioneering and deploying in 2019 general elections, a new platform for the electronic Collation and transmission of results of the 2019 elections”.

He referred to “INEC’s 2017-2021 strategic programme of action  document, page 5, serial number 1.4 and key action, titled ‘improve ICT operational deployment and utilization, including activities SN 1.4.1 to SN 1.4.57”, saying these series of activities “have captured all the essence of the server deployment by INEC”.

“Specifically, based on activities SN 1.4.57 in the strategic programme of action 2017-2021, the INEC leadership received the approval for the transmission of electronic results to the collation centres.

“In the same vein, SN 1.4.16 indicates that INEC has received the approval to procure servers for the 36 states and the FCT in the second quarter of 2017 and completed in the second quarter of 2018.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to tender a copy of the 2017-2021 strategic programme of action document, which dealt with issues of ICT including servers, card readers and the electronic transmission of election results,” he said.