Why INEC Didn’t Upload Presidential Election Results On IReV- Lai Mohammed
The Minister for Information, Lai Mohammed, has revealed why the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to upload the presidential election results in real time on the Commission’s result viewing portal, IReV as it had promised.
Mohamed while interacting in Washington DC with international media organisations and Think- tanks on the recently-concluded 2023 elections, explained that INEC deliberately refused to upload the results of the election held on February 25 because of suspected cyber attack.
“What happened on the 25th of February was that INEC observed that the results of the presidential election were not being viewed”.
“INEC, suspecting cyberattack, withheld the uploading of the results in order to preserve the integrity of the data.
“It immediately proceeded to float an alternative platform while asking its technicians to investigate what happened to its original portal” Lai Mohammed explained.
He added that it took up till 9 p.m. for the alternative portal to start working.
The minister’s explanation however, contradicts the explanation INEC had given Nigerians on the same matter.
Recall that the INEC’s National Commissioner for Voter education, Festus Okoye had said that the Commission’s failure to upload the presidential election results was not owed to intrusion of their system by third parties.
In Festus Okoye’s words;
“Consequently, the Commission wishes to assure Nigerians that the challenges are not due to any intrusion or sabotage of our systems, and that the IReV remains well-secured”.
