PDP, INEC disagree over alleged replacement of polls’ servers

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of replacing servers in its headquarters and state offices across the country.

Its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan claimed that the replacement “is a desperate bid to obliterate the actual presidential election results transmitted from the polling centres across the nation.”

The PDP said the “reprehensible act had further exposed the culpability of INEC in the alleged manipulation and rigging of the 2019 presidential election.”

The spokesman claimed: “The PDP has been well briefed on how the INEC leadership and officials of the Buhari presidency became jittery and resorted to the desperate measure after they realised that the servers have information of Atiku Abubakar’s victory at the polls.

“Our party also has details of how the INEC leadership and the presidency agents procured and detailed computer experts to the commission’s offices to switch the servers, mutilate vital information in the system and attempt to erase all trails of transmitted results to the main server.

“What INEC and the Buhari presidency do not understand is that computer software and applications leave traces, signatures as well as footmarks. Forensic investigation of the system will reveal the real votes transmitted from the polling centres which show Atiku Abubakar as the winner of the election.”

The party said it would insist on forensic examination of all relevant documents and equipment used for the exercise.

“Our party will continue to be at alert as we stand with Nigerians to reclaim our stolen mandate at the tribunal and no amount of manipulations by INEC will distract from this national resolve,” Ologbondiyan added.

But in a swift reaction, the electoral umpire described the allegation as baseless and untrue.

Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, in a terse statement said the commission would not trade words with the party on the matter since it was already before the court.

The response reads: “The allegation is baseless and uncalled for. The commission has maintained that it will not join issues with the PDP in the media on a petition that the party had already filed in court, in respect of the 2019 presidential election.

“Rather than issuing press statements and addressing press conferences on the same petition on a daily basis, the PDP should allow the legal process to run its full course.”