Jega Dismisses DSS Allegations, Says Nobody Can Hack Into INEC Database

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has stated that its database cannot be hacked into by anybody.

The commission, however, stated that if that were to happen, it would involve connivance with an insider.

The chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said this on Wednesday during a programme, ‘Straight Talk with Kadaria’, monitored on Channels Television in Abuja.

The INEC boss stressed that that he was prepared to return to the classroom as a university don in June, after the general elections.

Jega, who is a Professor of Political Science, was until his appointment as Chairman of INEC in 2010, Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano (BUK).

Reacting to the allegation by the Department of State Service that the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, had planned to hack into the database of the commission, Jega said: “As far as I am concerned, our database cannot be hacked; if that happens, then someone on the inside must have compromised because we have in place checks and balances that if such happens, we will know who did it”.

He also challenged APC leaders to substantiate their allegation that some people were trying to clone card readers for the election, a development he said, was nearly impossible.

The INEC chairman said, “They are obligated to investigate any information they receive on perpetration of a crime or attempts to perpetrate a crime. So if they have information that some people are trying to clone cards, they are obligated to investigate it.

“Investigating whether a crime has occurred or has not occurred is a different matter between whether the result of that crime will affect the integrity of the process.

“I am confident that it is virtually impossible for anybody to clone our cards; they can attempt but there is no way that, using the card reader, somebody will come and clone cards and vote on Election Day in February”.