Text of a press conference addressed by the National
Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC),
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Sunday, Jan. 11th 2015 at the APC
Data Centre, Ikeja, Lagos on Jan. 11th 2015
Good afternoon gentlemen!
As you are very much aware by now, the Department of State
Services, DSS, on Jan. 7th 2015 released the so-called
findings from its investigation following the Gestapo-like raids
of our Data Centre here at Number 10, Ajibola Street, Ikeja, on
Nov. 22nd 2014.
The summary of the 'findings' is that our party, the All
Progressives Congress (APC), had an ''articulated plan to
inflate the party's membership data as well as hack into
INEC's voter registration database through the creation of
party membership forms and cards to match INEC's voters
register across the country''.
Our immediate response, which was issued on the same day
and which got a big play, was to dismiss the 'findings' as
hogwash, a great disservice to Nigeria and an embarrassment
to all intelligence-gathering organizations around the world.
Our stand on the 'findings' has not changed.
However, having taken our time to study the 'findings', we
believe it is necessary for us to respond to the allegations in a
more detailed manner that will show that we were even
charitable to have described the report as hogwash. That DSS
report is bunkum, garbage, and is not worth the paper on
which it is written. We will demonstrate that to you shortly
But first, let us address the motive of the DSS for this report
and the timing of its release.
We will like to tell all Nigerians that the crap called 'findings' is
part of the ongoing efforts by the Jonathan Administration to
postpone next month's general elections. Having seen the
handwriting on the wall vis-a-vis the growing rejection of the
PDP by Nigerians, the Jonathan Administration has gone into
a panic mode, while embarking on a plan to postpone the
elections.
Apparently, the thinking at the DSS, which is working in
cahoots with the PDP, is that its report that the APC plans to
hack into the voters' registration Data Base of the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) will raise doubts about
the integrity of the voter's register to be used for the
forthcoming polls, and subsequently force a postponement of
the elections since the existing register cannot be used for the
polls.
Unfortunately for DSS and the PDP, this thinking was based
on a wrong premise, as we will show shortly, and it has
backfired.
Before you say our claim is outlandish, remember that some
prominent Nigerians have publicly called for the
postponement of the election - which can only benefit the
Jonathan Administration and delay its impending Waterloo at
the polls. Place the calls side by side with the apparently
doctored outcome of the DSS investigations and the timing of
the report's release, and you will understand where they are
coming from.
THE 'FINDINGS'
We make bold to say that those 'findings' cannot stand a
serious scrutiny by independent investigators.because the
DSS worked backwards, from answer to question, in an effort
to reach a pre-determined conclusion
HACKING OF INEC’s DATABASE
The allegation that the APC planned to hack into INEC's
voters' registration Data Base is false. The fact that the DSS
made the allegation at all shows that the agency does not
understand the concept of hacking, which is pathetic for a
primary intelligence agency of its stature.
We are not aware that INEC has made a complaint of anyone
or group trying to hack into its system. The DSS 'findings' are
baseless as INEC'S database is a reflection of the registered
members with the Permanent Voter's Cards (PVCs). Please
note that at the time of the DSS' raids, the PVCs had already
been printed. Therefore, of what value would it be to hack into
the system and input more names?
Simply put, it is not possible for the APC to hack into the INEC
Data Base for the following reasons:
INEC’s database is not online, how then is it possible for
anyone to hack into it?
To prevent virus intrusion, there is no Internet service at
the APC Data Centre that was raided. Therefore it is not
possible to hack into INEC’s database.
The DSS has claimed that hacking tutorials were
discovered on an external hard drive. This is a lie! All the USB
ports on the pc systems in the office were disabled to prevent
virus intrusion. Therefore, the use of external hard drives is
not allowed at the APC Data Centre. If this is so, how is it
possible for an external hard drive containing these so-called
hacking materials to be found on the premises of the APC
Data Office?
Please note that the work stations at our various data
registration centres in the country are manned by unemployed
youths with just basic computer knowledge. The question to
ask is: Would the party have employed these people if the
intent were to hack into INEC's Data Base or employed gurus
in the IT world?
It is clear that the DSS purchased a hard drive and
downloaded the information themselves from the Internet.
After all, the DSS, by virtue of its duties, should be the hacking
experts, hence hacking tutorials will be part of their staff
induction training.
TIMING OF THE DSS RAIDS
As we have said, the overall motive of the raid of our offices
and the so-called findings is to give the impression that the
INEC voter's register has been corrupted, hence cannot be
used for next month's elections. Now, a more specific
question: Why did the DSS break into the APC Data Centre at
the time it did?
It is no coincidence that the DSS raided the APC Data Centre
on Nov. 22nd 2014, exactly one week before the start of the
PVC distribution exercise on Nov. 28th 2014.
The reason the DSS came to vandalize our Data Centre is
because the Service is working hand-in-hand with the PDP.
They carried out the raids to know our party's strength in
terms of membership. Please note that after the raids, many
of our registered members could not find their names on the
list when they went to collect their PVCs. This is not a mere
coincidence.
ALLEGED MULTIPLE REGISTRATION OF MEMBERS
After the first visit of the DSS, it was clear to all Nigerians that
the Service's claim that we were cloning PVCs could not be
sustained. That explains why they could not display a single
cloned PVC
During the second raid carried out by the DSS on the same
APC Data Centre, the security personnel carted away bags
with unused membership registration forms. These are the
forms to which they have fraudulently attached pictures of
babies & military personnel in order to implicate the APC.
Or what on earth was the purpose of the DSS carting away
blank APC membership registration forms? Why did it take the
DSS almost 50 days to reveal this information? If it were true,
won’t they have released the information to the general public
immediately? Has the DSS hired any renowned IT
organization to attest to its 'findings'? Can you be an accuser
and a judge at the same time?
ALLEGED REGISTRATION OF ARMED FORCES/PARAMILITARY
PERSONNEL
This is a no-brainer! The question to ask the DSS is: Will any
member of the armed forces and paramilitary organizations
be so daft as to join a political party using a passport
photograph of himself or herself in uniform? The DSS must
think Nigerians are fools.
ALLEGED REGISTRATION OF BABIES
To the best of our knowledge, a baby cannot vote? So, why
would any organization register a baby as a member? Our
application edits date of birth, hence will not allow the
registration of under-aged persons. The DSS should tell the
world where it got the pictures of babies that it affixed to the
blank forms that were carted away from our Data Centre. We
did not and could not have registered babies as members.
This allegation is nitwitted, to say the least.
ALLEGED CONFESSIONS BY WORKERS ARRESTED FROM THE
DATA CENTRE
Please recall that in a statement we issued of Dec. 5th 2014,
we accused the DSS of resorting to the use of torture to
obtain forced confessions from the workers who were
arrested during the first raid on our party's Data Centre.
In that statement, we called the action of the DSS a
contravention of the UN Convention against Torture to which
Nigeria is a signatory and a violation of the citizens'
fundamental human rights.
We also said:
- The DSS shackled the hands and legs of those arrested and
blindfolded them while they were being taken to Abuja; The
arrested persons remained in chains even at the dark
detention cell where they were made to sleep on the bare floor
for the 10 days they were detained illegally.
- The workers had guns pointed at their heads by DSS
personnel who threatened to shoot them
- A pregnant woman among those who were arrested was
denied access to her drugs even when she started bleeding
due to the torture to which she was subjected by the DSS.
Gentlemen, we now present to you some of those who were
arrested and tortured by the DSS, so they can narrate to you
their ordeal in the hands of the DSS - A national institution
being maintained by taxpayers' funds but which has now
become the enforcement arm of the PDP to be used by the
ruling party to terrorize innocent citizens.
The DSS said it had charged these workers to court. This is a
lie. We were the ones who charged the DSS to court, and the
court ordered the security agency to release the arrested
workers. Be that as it may, we are expecting them to join us
in court, and let the court decide on the crap they called
findings. We are confident that the 'confessions' extracted
from these people, after they were subjected to incredible acts
of torture, cannot even stand in any court of law.
I thank you!
Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Lagos, Jan 11th 2015

Gbam

Simple truth
Simply explained
Simplicity exhibited.

Why would an agency lik DSS be involved in politicking, the way their spokeperson speaks, there is no doubt ,she represents PDP, I wonder what will become of her if APC candidate emerges as next president.this is unproffessional,this is how people bring themselved down

Dasini:
Why would an agency lik DSS be involved in politicking, the way their spokeperson speaks, there is no doubt ,she represents PDP, I wonder what will become of her if APC candidate emerges as next presidency.

No need to wonder,

She must proceed on terminal leave.

Nigerian secret service is a disgrace and mockery in the intelligence world,its now Nigerian dumbo service or dumbo secret service DSS.

1000Likes for Baba Lai!

To slap Marilyn Ogar jus dey hungry me! Fugly Mofo!

TALK IS CHEAP.....
I WASN'T EXPECTING APC TO AGREE TO D ALLEGATIONS,JUST LIKE PDP WOULD EQUALLY NT VE AGREED.

APC AND PDP ARE LIKE TWO IDENTICAL TWIN(S) DAT R FIGHTING TO WIN D HEART OF A LASS(ASO-ROCK)...ONLY DOS WHO R GULLIBLE WILL FALL PREY TO DIA NEFARIOUS BUT NEBULOUS TRAITS