Head of ICT unit of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state said that the card-reader machines worked effectively in areas he covered during the April 11 governorship election in the state.
Mr Pius Nwankwo said this on Tuesday at the Akwa Ibom Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja when he was cross-examined by Mr Solomon Umoh (SAN), counsel to the petitioner.
He said the workability of the card reader machines necessitated the high volume of work the commission faced after the election.
“I served as the Assistant Presiding Officer which made me to visit most of the polling units. Akwa Ibom has more than 1000 polling units and in most of the units I visited, the card reader machines were working effectively.
“Up till April 27, the INEC office in Uyo was still uploading information of registered voters to the central server of the commission. I am not aware of sustained card-readers malfunctioning in Akwa Ibom,” he said.
The witness said that all the card reader machines used for the Akwa Ibom governorship election were presently deposited at the INEC office in Uyo.
He explained that the delay in the uploading of the card readers materials came as a result of network challenges associated with the server.
The tribunal had earlier ordered INEC to open its defence after Gov. Emmanuel Udom and PDP closed their case on September 11.
The APC governorship candidate, Mr Umana Okon Umana, had dragged the governor to the tribunal challenging his declaration as winner of the April 11 governorship election