INEC: We experimented with server in Osun, Anambra – NOT during general election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it only used an electronic server as experiment during some state governorship elections in 2018.

According to PUNCH, Solomon Soyebi, INEC national commissioner, said the commission jettisoned the idea of using server for this year’s general election over some factors, including the late release of its budget.

This comes on the heels of an ongoing debate on whether the commission has a server where it transmits results electronically.

One of the arguments of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the ongoing hearing of the presidential election petition tribunal is that the results from the server showed Atiku Abubakar, its candidate, got the highest votes during the polls.

But INEC has since dismissed the claim, saying it has no such server.

Speaking on Monday during a retreat organised by INEC for its staff in the general election in Osun state, Soyebi said while INEC experimented with the server in states like Anambra and Osun, it did not adopt it for this year’s general election.

“We piloted the use of transmission of election results electronically in Sokoto, in Anambra, even in Osun. What happened was that we were trying to pilot to see the desirability of such technology in our electoral process,” he was quoted as saying.

“First, our budget came out very late, there was also issue (with) the electoral act. For these and some other reasons, the commission did not adopt that option. 2019 elections were conducted according to Law.

“We used the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we used the electoral act and our guidelines for 2019 elections. If you look at the three instruments carefully, the issue of server was not highlighted.

“Once in a while, you will see an experiment going on but we have to pilot it before we will deploy wholesale for election. We did not use it because of circumstances beyond the control of the commission.”