The management of Daar Communications, owners of African Independent Television (AIT), has alleged that supporters of Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), rigged its online presidential poll.
AIT had pulled the poll from its website on Tuesday when the APC candidate led President Goodluck Jonathan 77% to 21%, with insinuations that the network was embarrassed by Buhari’s massive lead.
Its chairman, Raymond Dokpesi, is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a supporter of Jonathan.
However, in a statement released on Thursday, the station’s management said the sudden jump in Buhari’s scores alerted the technical team into shutting down the poll and conducting an integrity test.
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It said: “Suspicions that the poll was compromised where (were) first muted when it emerged the number of unique IP addresses was significantly less than the number of votes polled. This suggested that some pollers were able to vote multiple times.
“A forensic test of the votes polled after the website was shut down further revealed that 30 identified unique IP-addresses had voted a total of 4969 times in favour of General Mohammed (Muhammadu) Buhari.
“Furthermore a software application that incrementally changes the IP-addresses was discovered to be used in the voting process in favour of General Mohammed Buhari and the APC political party. Daar Communications Plc is presently seeking legal advise amid privacy concerns about releasing the raw CSV files on its www.aitonline.tv website for interested Nigerians to independently verify the integrity of the online poll.
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“The management of Daar Communications Plc determined this afternoon to make this information publicly available to protect its integrity amid accusations of bias promoted in some websites as well as on social media. The management further stated that ait remains committed to providing transparent bipartisan coverage of local and international news within the confines of best practice. The media and members of the public shall be updated as more information becomes available.”
In the CSV file seen by TheCable, some particular IP addresses voted for Buhari at least 20 times each.
Last year, a similar poll conducted by Jonathan’s social media team was abruptly pulled.
A similar allegation was made against Buhari’s supporters, who are thought to outnumber Jonathan’s fans on the social media.
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8 comments
So disappointed in AIT…I stopped watching the Tv station since they’ve bn PDPlised by the presidency.Febuhari 14 is a judgement day for you guys to accept defeat!!!
What a load of “bollocks”
I voted once and immidiatly the percentage was shown to me. There was no room for double voting. We aceept the result did not turn out in favour AIT simple.
AIT, this is a basket of lies.
GMB is the peoples general by popular choice and not the rented crowds of GEJ.
If it is true, why GEJ not ask his ex-militant that were sponsored in the euro and America for Infor tech to come and do the same magic that AIT claimed. These are all lies. We Nigerian are tried of PDP 16 rule of ruining Nigerian like there private company. We need change come 14 February.
If AIT is afraid of result of mere poll, what will they do after the real election is conducted and Jonathan lost with significant margin? They are merely postponing the ‘evil day’.
AIT it’s a scam for a station like you be partisan, wait and see what will happen on 14 fabuary
Hmmmmm, dis is so embarrassing that an independent corporation can engaged in politics…
The poll was free and fair but AIT failed to realised the fact cos its not their candidate dat win d poll.