Amazon Staff Insists There were no ‘technical glitches’ in INEC Server during the Presidential Election.
By Israel Okah
Prosecution Witness7, Clarita Ogar, a cloud engineer and architect, who works with Amazon Web Services, AWS Incorporated, hosts of the servers of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has finally proved that there were no technical glitches anywhere in the world on February 25, 2023.
The fundamental claim of INEC was that they could not upload the presidential election results on the iRev Portal due to ‘technical glitches’ that occurred on their servers on the election day.
As it turned out, Amazon Web Services, hosts of INEC servers, has affirmed that there was no technical glitch on February 25, 2023 in six continents under its operations, including Africa.
Proceedings at the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, are heightening to a climax as all the parties sharpened thier knives this week.
The Petitioners, Peter Obi and Labour Party, presented their seventh witness on Monday June 19 at the ongoing hearing holding at the Appeal Court headquarters, Abuja.
Prosecution Witness7, led in evidence by PIN Ikwueto, SAN, affirmed that she is a cloud engineer and architect, who works with Amazon Web Services, AWS Incorporated.
She tendered certificate of compliance from 33 sections of six regions of Amazon Web Services – North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Oceania and Europe.
The most important paragraph in her deposition specifically stated that there was no technical glitch across all the six continents housing AWS on February 25, 2023.
This is contrary to INEC claim that they could not upload results on to the iRev Portal die to ‘technical glitches’ on February 25, 2023.
Ikwueto read her statement out, which the witness reaffirmed.
AB Mahmoud, SAN, appearing for first Respondent, INEC, and Wole Olanipekun, SAN, appearing for second and third respondents, Tinubu and Shettima, objected to everything about PW7, from tendering her identity card to adopting her deposition.
The fierce objections and interchanging arguments before agreeing to any process and referring to reserve reasons till presentation of final addresses, seemingly solidifies the time-wasting tactics of the four defendants.
The Petitioners’ team were very bitter and expressed in strong terms their displeasure at INEC’s continued denial of vital documents they needed to prove their case. Without INEC respecting the law by responding to subpoenas to provide documents vital to prove their case.
Cross-examination of PW7 was a legal civil war that brought out the best and worst of the lawyers as they battled to intimidate and discredit the Cloud Engineer.
Questions from the tag team of the respondents focused on discrediting her evidence by all manner of gimmicks to force INEC’s claim that there was a ‘technical glitch’ on the AWS on February 25, 2023.
But the expert witness stood her ground and emphasized that there was no ‘technical glitch’ on the AWS throughout the six continents of service on February 25, 2023.
Wole Olanipekun, SAN representing Tinubu and Shettima, resorted to shouting at the witness to intimidate and force errors but PW7 remained that there no ‘technical glitch’ on February 25.
INEC finally responded to the subpoena served on them on May 29 to produce vital documents the Petitioners needed to advance their case.
Professor Mahmood Yakubu sent Morokeji Funmilayo Tainu from the Department of Certification and Complaints to respond in court. And she did not come with any document, giving many lame excuses that got Uzoukwu livid.
INEC lawyers stood in defense of their clients.
INEC is clearly frustrating the petitioners by refusing to provide documents subpoenaed by the Court, hoping the Petitioners’ time to present their case would elapse as scheduled on June 23. They even claimed that some of the documents LP was demanding do not exist.
The justices appeared helpless. They told Uzoukwu there was nothing to do to INEC to produce the documents besides the subpoena already issued. The court gave INEC more time to produce the documents while adjourning to Wednesday, June 21.
Will the Haruna Tsammani-led five-man panel factor in INEC’s deliberate time-wasting mischief and extend the Petitioners’ timeline beyond June 23?
INEC are deliberately holding onto some documents to the case and they are even charging LP to release them.
“But one fact remains clear,” says LP, “being guilty goes beyond practical proof. The real sign of guilt can be deciphered from attitude. INEC is afraid – the most significant attitude of guilt.”
