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Atiku Gives ‘Details’ of INEC Servers, Set to Call Microsoft, IBM Experts as Witnesses
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, is set to call Microsoft, IBM and Oracle experts to authenticate his claim that the servers belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission showed that he defeated President Muhammadu Buhari by over 1.6 million votes.
Atiku also identified the server where the results are kept as INEC_PRES_RSLT_SRV2019 and its unique Mac address as 94-57-A5-DC-64-B9 with Microsoft Product ID 00252-70000-0000-AA535.
The PDP candidate said this in fresh response to the reply of INEC to his petition.
Atiku and the PDP will also be expected to tender INEC’s training manual on elections, a printout of the votes of candidates from smart card readers and a printout of the forensic audit report on INEC’s server as evidence.
The former Vice-President and the PDP claimed to have polled a total of 18,356,732 votes to defeat President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress who he said scored 16,741,430 votes.
However, INEC’s Director, Information and Communications Technology, Mr Chidi Nwafor, in his witness statement on oath attached to the reply, specifically denied the “server results” which the PDP and Atiku were laying claim to.
He said all the results were collated manually and were never transmitted electronically.
Atiku, in his fresh response, said the figures he claimed to have scored were genuine.
The reply read in part, “The servers from which the said figures were derived belong to the 1st respondent (INEC). The figures and votes were transmitted to the 1st respondent’s Presidential result’s server 1 and thereafter aggregated in INEC_PRES_RSLT_SRV2019 whose physical address or unique Mac address as 94-57-A5-DC-64-B9 with Microsoft Product ID 00252-70000-0000-AA535. The descriptions are unique to the 1st respondent’s server.”
On how the case would be argued, the PDP and Atiku stated, “The petitioners will at the trial of this petition rely on experts on Microsoft, IBM and Oracle, amongst others.”
The PDP candidate and his party said one of the spokespersons for the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Festus Keyamo (SAN), even attested to the fact that the election data was in INEC’s servers when he wrote a petition to the Inspector-General of Police calling on him to arrest Atiku.
The petition further stated, “The spokesperson for the second respondent’s campaign organisation (Keyamo) openly admitted that the data in question was in the first respondent’s server when he wrote and submitted a petition to the IGP and the Director of the Department of State Services asking the security agencies to investigate the second petitioner (the PDP) for allegedly hacking into the server of the first respondent (INEC) and obtaining the data in question.
“Specifically, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN) claimed in the petition that it was the first petitioner (Atiku) who smuggled the data into the server. The petitioners (Atiku and the PDP) hereby plead the said petition to the security agencies and the second respondent is hereby given notice to produce them at hearing.”
The PDP and Atiku said INEC’s claim that the transmission of results was purely manual was a lie.
They made references to several press statements issued by INEC insisting that there would be an electronic component of results collation.
Atiku and his party said there was nothing in the Electoral Act that barred INEC from transmitting results electronically.
They said INEC also lied when it claimed that its directive on election day was that card readers should only be used in areas where they worked.
The PDP and its presidential candidate added, “The petitioners shall at trial lead evidence to show that the first respondent (INEC) stated on several occasions before and after the elections that the use of card readers was compulsory.”
The petitioners also stated that INEC through its Chairman and Returning Officer, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, committed grave errors in the final collation of the presidential results.
The INEC boss was said to have muddled up the results, announcing the wrong figures for wrong political parties.
Atiku and his party said in the Form EC8E INEC falsely credited Rev. Chris Okotie (Presidential candidate of the Fresh Democratic Party) with a wrong political party and wrong scores and in the same vein, the INEC boss falsely credited Rev. Onwubuya Abraham (presidential candidate of Freedom and Justice Party) with a wrong political party and wrong scores.
The INEC chairman was also accused of falsely crediting Ojinika Chizee (presidential candidate of the Coalition for Change) and Abah Elaigwu (Change Advocacy Party) with the wrong scores and wrong political parties.
Meanwhile, the PDP has come to the defence of Atiku’s lead counsel, Dr Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), whom INEC claimed was not a legal practitioner and was not licensed to practise law.
In a witness statement signed by a former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, the party said Uzoukwu was called to the bar in 1982 and was even the attorney-general of Imo State from 1994 to 1996.
The Punch
Disturbed by the increasing level of terrorism and banditry in the country, the Senate has declared that it will consider the amendments to the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of State Police in the country this week.
In a statement on Monday, the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central, said that after it is considered by the Senate, it would then be transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for further legislation.
In the statement issued by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, the Leader of the Senate explained that all stakeholders across the federation “are on the same page with the National Assembly on the establishment of State Police.”
Bamidele, who explained that the National Assembly would isolate the aspect from the ongoing constitution amendment and pass it into law due to its national exigency, also revealed that President Bola Tinubu and all the state governors were on the same page with the National Assembly on the State Police.
He added that the legislative week, which begins on Tuesday, would be a crucial one for the Senate as the issue of state police would top their agenda.
Section 214 (1) of the 1999 Constitution says: “There shall be a Police Force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force.”
Bamidele said: “Our position is very clear on state police. We are standing with Nigerians on the issue of state police. All strata of the federation have made it clear that there cannot be a better time to establish a state police than now.
“That is where we stand. Where we are coming in is to now help translate this popular desire of the people into reality as elected representatives of the Nigerian people.
“We came to the conclusion that we are going to pass the constitutional amendment in this respect to make a provision for the State Police. If I can tell you as of today, that will come to fruition this very week because there is no need to allow any further delay
“There have been a series of meetings between the National Assembly. When I say the national assembly, I mean Chairman, Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Barau I. Jibrin and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, both of whom are representing the National Assembly.
“They had been in a series of meetings with the office of Attorney-General, Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tunji Disu and other stakeholders in the last one week and that is why I can sit here to tell you that we’re pursuing that this week.
“It is going to be the subject we will be dealing with this week. What we have resolved to do is to isolate it with the rest of the bills that we have proposed under constitutional amendment so that we can vote on this as soon as possible.
“The bill can as well be on its way to the 36 States’ Houses of Assembly as soon as possible because you know we will need two-thirds of the state assemblies to approve it before the president can assent to it.
“The president is also with us on this proposal. I am sure he cannot wait for the bill to come to him for assent. I am sure the majority of our governors, as we know, are in support of this bill. The state assemblies are also waiting for this bill to come. We will initiate the proposal for the creation of state police within the week.”
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, had disclosed that President Tinubu would receive a comprehensive report on the proposed creation of state police as consultations on the constitutional framework for its establishment approached completion.
Abia State governor, Alex Otti, has announced plans to construct a FIFA-standard stadium in Aba with a seating capacity of approximately 35,000, in what is being described as one of the most significant sports infrastructure projects in the State’s development agenda.
The proposed stadium is designed to meet international football standards, making it suitable for hosting top-tier domestic league matches, continental competitions, and other global sporting events.
The facility is expected to feature modern pitch technology, upgraded spectator stands, advanced lighting systems for night games, VIP lounges, media centres, locker rooms, and safety and security installations that align with FIFA requirements.
The project is also expected to include auxiliary facilities such as training pitches, parking spaces, and support buildings that will enhance its overall functionality as a multi-use sports complex.
According to the governor’s vision, the stadium is not just a sports project but part of a broader economic revitalisation plan for Aba.
The city, already known as a major commercial hub in South-eastern Nigeria, is expected to benefit significantly from increased sporting activities, which will drive business for hotels, transport operators, food vendors, and local entrepreneurs.
The initiative is also positioned to strengthen grassroots football development and provide a modern home ground for local teams, especially Enyimba FC, one of Nigeria’s most successful football clubs.
The project is expected to be executed through a structured development approach that may involve partnerships aimed at ensuring timely delivery and high construction standards.
When completed, the stadium is projected to elevate Abia State’s profile in national and African football circles while creating new opportunities for youth engagement, talent development, and sports tourism.
Overall, the Aba stadium plan reflects a strategic push by the state government to combine sports, infrastructure, and economic development into a single long-term growth vision for Abia State.
Suspected gunmen have abducted the sister of a former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The family of former minister and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) confirmed the abduction, disclosing that Mrs. Olaide John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin sons were kidnapped by the gunmen on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.
According to a statement issued by Adelabu’s media aide, Femi Awogboro, the victims were kidnapped at about 7:30am while Mrs. John-Paul was taking her children to school.
Mrs. John-Paul, the youngest of five children of Mrs. Olufunmilayo Aduke Adegoke Adelabu, reportedly retired voluntarily from her career at First Bank Pension Custodian in 2025 before relocating to Ibadan with her children.
She was said to be making arrangements to join her husband, who had earlier relocated to the US.
The family expressed deep concern over the development but stated that security agencies had already commenced efforts to rescue the victims and apprehend those responsible.
“We are pleased to confirm that security operatives have swung into action and preliminary investigations have commenced in earnest,” the statement partly read.
While appealing for calm, the family urged members of the public to refrain from spreading unverified information that could undermine ongoing rescue operations.
“We are deeply distressed by this unfortunate incident, but remain hopeful that the victims will be rescued safely. We appeal to the public to remain calm, avoid speculation and support ongoing efforts with prayers,” the statement added.
The family also called on anyone with useful information that could aid the rescue operation to promptly share such intelligence with security agencies through the appropriate channels.
It assured that it would continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement authorities and provide updates as investigations and rescue efforts progress.
