Connect with us

Politics

PEPT: Obi Calls Cyber Security Expert As Eight Witness

Published

on

 

On Thursday, cyber security expert Dr. Chibuike Ugwoke stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) uploaded a picture of a book on its results viewing portal, IReV instead of displaying the results of the presidential election that took place on February 25.

 

Dr. Ugwoke, appeared before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja as the eighth witness (PW-8). He testified in a case initiated by Mr. Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), who seeks to invalidate President Bola Tinubu’s election.

 

After commencing his testimony on Wednesday, the expert witness known as PW-8 was unable to complete his cross-examination as the Respondents raised concerns about needing more time to review his sworn statement.

 

As a result, during the proceedings on Thursday, the witness was called back to the stand. Each of the Respondents, including INEC, President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and the All Progressives Congress (APC), had the opportunity to question him before the five-member panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani.

 

During the cross-examination, Dr. Ugwoke revealed that he had conducted an analysis on INEC’s ICT infrastructure, specifically focusing on what he referred to as “Meta Data.”

 

During his testimony, Dr. Ugwoke informed the court that the Meta Data he analyzed accurately described the information stored in the system.

 

He stated that his analysis focused on 12 polling units across three states: Bauchi, Anambra, and Rivers. Additionally, he mentioned that his report, which was submitted as evidence, also referenced Benue state.

 

The witness further disclosed that the petitioners sought his expertise on March 10 to examine the content uploaded by INEC onto its IReV portal following the presidential election.

 

“Though I initially sent a preliminary report which was more like an overview, around March 1, I later wrote an elaborate report in the middle of May,” he stated.

 

The witness acknowledged that before preparing his final report, which was submitted as evidence, he had read Mr. Obi’s petition along with the responses provided by the Respondents.

 

During his testimony, the witness stated that his analysis uncovered that INEC officials had made erroneous inputs into the IReV portal using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.

 

When questioned about whether he knew the identities of those responsible for the incorrect inputs, the witness responded by saying, “I don’t know who made the uploads, but it was from the BVAS, and the number is there.”

 

He said though he did not in the course of his assignment, interrogate any INEC official, “but I interrogated the INEC manual.”

 

Asked if he contacted the Labour Party to give him what should have been the actual results from the polling units, the witness, said: “No my lords, I did not”.

 

“In one of the instances, the picture of a book was uploaded instead of election results. I interrogated the Amazon Web Services, AWS, that was how I got to know because the information was there in the server,”  he stated.

 

The witness informed the court that he specifically selected 12 polling units out of the total 176,846 across the country, based on his proof of consent.

 

Regarding INEC’s claim of technical glitches affecting the electronic transmission of results, the witness stated that such technological errors could be identified during the testing phase of an application before its actual deployment.

 

He said: “Errors arise at the time of testing, but after deployment, the probability for an error to arise may be very negligible. However, it is not impossible for error to arise after deployment.

 

“I used three states to show that it is possible to display the meta data in the IReV portal. I proved that there were errors and I did not have to examine the Forms EC8As, physically, to reach my conclusion.”

 

Asked if he could tell that results from polling units in the states he analysed, were properly collated, the witness, said: “That was not for me to prove, I only presented the facts.”

 

He told the court that all he did was from his computer, adding that he was familiar with the AWS, which INEC engaged for the general elections.

 

“AWS security is a shared responsibility model between the company and a client..With respect to security, there are three components; confidentiality, integrity and availability of data.

 

“Availability simply means that the data would not shut down and will be readily accessible when needed. That aspect is the responsibility of the AWS.” he added.

 

Asked if there was anything about electronic collating system in a press statement that INEC issued on the use of BVAS, which was cited in his report, the witness, said: “Yes, it was inferred in the last paragraph.”he added.

Politics

2027 Election: Obi–Kwankwaso Group Warns of Plot to Divide NDC in Enugu

Published

on

The Obi–Kwankwaso (OK) Movement in Enugu State has raised concerns over an alleged attempt to create division and destabilise the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The movement urged party members and supporters to remain united and disregard directives or announcements that do not come from recognised party leadership.

In a statement issued by its Chief Press Secretary, Ani Ifeanyi Moses, the group alleged that some individuals were working to create what it described as a “non-existent faction” within the NDC.

SEE MORE: “Nobody Forced Obi to Leave Any Party” — APC Chair Fires Back at Critics

It said the alleged plot involved impersonation, unauthorised claims of leadership and the circulation of misinformation intended to cause confusion among party members.

According to the movement, the alleged activities were coming at a critical period when members should be concentrating on preparations for the 2027 elections rather than internal disputes.

The group specifically accused some individuals of impersonating party officials and attempting to undermine the NDC’s structure in Enugu State.

“It is intentional to create division and confusion, knowing that Enugu is the support base of Mr. Peter Obi, and we must resist it,” the statement said.

The movement described the alleged actions as a threat to democratic principles and called on those behind them to immediately stop.

It urged all parties involved in any disagreement within the NDC to rely on the party’s internal mechanisms and legal processes for resolution.

The group also appealed to political actors to respect constitutional democracy and the rule of law, warning against actions that could further deepen divisions within the political movement.

The OK Movement equally cautioned against involving young Nigerians in political conflicts, stressing that individual political ambitions should not be allowed to overshadow the broader objective of building what it described as a credible political alternative ahead of 2027.

It called on NDC members and supporters of the Obi–Kwankwaso movement in Enugu to remain calm, united, vigilant and resolute.

The movement further advised members to disregard any directives that were not issued through recognised party leadership or official communication channels.

It also urged supporters to verify political information before acting on it, particularly information contained in unauthorised announcements or messages circulated through unofficial channels.

Describing the political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections as a “New Nigeria project,” the movement maintained that the initiative was greater than individual political ambitions or the pursuit of public offices.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to democratic values, accountability and good governance, while pledging to continue mobilising support for what it described as a competent and people-centred government in 2027.

The movement concluded by appealing to its members to remain focused and united, warning that internal divisions could weaken their collective political aspirations as the country moves closer to the 2027 general elections.

Continue Reading

Politics

2027 Race Begins as APC Completes 100% Candidate Upload to INEC

Published

on

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has recorded a major milestone in its preparations for the 2027 general elections after successfully completing the upload of all its governorship, deputy governorship and State House of Assembly candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Candidate Nomination Portal.

The announcement was made on Friday by the party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, in a statement shared via his official X handle, where he congratulated party leaders, members and candidates nationwide on the successful completion of the nomination process.

SEE ALSO: ‘Nobody Forced Obi to Leave Any Party’ — APC Chair Fires Back at Critics

According to Yilwatda, the APC achieved a 100 per cent upload of its candidates across the country, submitting 56 governorship and deputy governorship candidates alongside 1,015 State House of Assembly candidates to the INEC portal ahead of the 2027 polls.

“Congratulations to our leaders, members, and candidates across the country on the successful completion of the nomination process for the 2027 General Elections,” he said.

“I am pleased to announce that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has successfully achieved a 100% upload of all our 56 Governorship and Deputy Governorship, and 1,015 State House of Assembly candidates on the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal.”

The APC chairman described the achievement as a clear indication of the party’s organisational capacity and readiness for the next stage of the electoral process.

“This milestone reflects the organizational strength of our great party,” Nentawe stated.

With the nomination process now concluded, the ruling party said it would shift its attention to engaging Nigerians while highlighting the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“With this phase successfully concluded, we remain focused on engaging Nigerians with our vision, and building on the achievements of the Renewed Hope Agenda as we prepare for victory in 2027,” he added.

The completion of the candidate upload marks a key requirement in the electoral process and positions the APC among the first major political parties to conclude the nomination phase ahead of what is expected to be a keenly contested 2027 general election.

Continue Reading

Politics

Why Fubara Couldn’t Seek Re-election — Wike Reveals Inside Story

Published

on

Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has opened up on the political events that led to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara abandoning his bid for a second term, blaming the outcome on poor advice from political associates and external interests.

Speaking during the August edition of his monthly media chat aired on Channels Television on Tuesday, Wike said he repeatedly warned Fubara against abandoning the political structure that brought him to power.

SEE MORE: Fubara Corrected His Mistakes, Returned to the Right Political Family – Wike

“I said, look, don’t derail. I came as governor, I had crisis. When I came as governor, there was nothing. They didn’t even relocate the Government House,” Wike said.

The former Rivers governor recalled inheriting an administration with limited resources, revealing that he had to borrow ceremonial vehicles from former Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko.

“When I came, I had to borrow vehicles from the former governor of Ondo, Mimiko, these parade vehicles. Nobody kept any vehicle; I didn’t have one vehicle.

“But before I left as governor, I packed out from Government House one and a half years before. I renovated Government House. I bought vehicles for the governor, the deputy governor and the governor’s wife. I did that,” he stated.

Wike said he expected Fubara to consolidate on the foundation he laid instead of distancing himself from the political family that supported his emergence.

“Somebody had laid a foundation. Look, this is where I stopped. If you continue this way, our dream is to be able to compete with Lagos. What is wrong with that?” he said.

According to the minister, some individuals who had initially opposed Fubara’s emergence as governor later became his close allies and allegedly encouraged him to confront those who backed his political rise.

“Somebody comes, and that’s why you have to be careful. Those who didn’t want you to be governor now became your friends. Obviously, they will destroy you, thinking that coming closer to you is to fight us.

“At the end of the fight, I have not lost anything. What have I lost? Nothing. But you have lost. Your intention was to go for a second term, is it not correct? And you are not going,” Wike said.

Asked whether he still loved Fubara despite their political differences, Wike responded:
“If I don’t love him, why would we support him? That’s the point I’m making.”

The FCT minister disclosed that both camps had at one point considered reconciliation, but political considerations ultimately stalled the process.

“There was a time we all thought, we all agreed, and said, ‘Look, can we allow bygones to be bygones?’ But something fundamental came up in politics.

“They said, ‘Look, if you allow this now, there are those who are here who want to see that we are no longer politically relevant,'” he said.

Wike further alleged that external interests sought to hijack Rivers State for financial gain, claiming some influential individuals advised Fubara to resist his political camp.

“When this thing happened, they were so bitter that they started giving the governor wrong advice: ‘Don’t worry, the law says this, the law didn’t say this.’

“They were sending them aircraft, then they would relax in the jet. To them, they were king. So, for him to continue to be there, they would exert that kind of influence.

“We said no, this cash cow must end now. You won’t have it again. Take as much as you can, but you have to stop,” Wike added.

The political rift between Wike and Fubara began shortly after Fubara assumed office in 2023 and later escalated into a prolonged power struggle involving the Rivers State House of Assembly, impeachment threats and a state of emergency.

Although Fubara later obtained nomination forms to contest the All Progressives Congress governorship primaries for a second term, he withdrew from the race in May 2026.

Wike maintained that the political crisis and the decisions taken by the governor during the dispute ultimately cost him the opportunity to seek re-election.

Continue Reading

Copyright © 2022. Biztellers, powered by Alphaxristi.

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x