By Temitope Adedeji
A witness, Samuel Oduntan, who testified on behalf of Governor Ademola Adeleke, before the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, says over-voting took place only in six of the 749 disputed polling units.
This is the second testimony of over-voting after that INEC’s witness.
Former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenged the declaration of Governor Adeleke as the winner of the July 16 governorship poll in the state.
At the resumed hearing of the petition, Oduntan, a Statistician and Forensic Examiner, while being led in evidence by Alex Iziyon, SAN, said he conducted a forensic analysis of the BVAS machine and analysed the result with forms EC8A series to draw his report.
“Under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, I conducted the forensic analysis of BVAS machines, I then analysed the result with form EC8A series. My report didn’t determine who won or lost. I only gave the figures. I observed over-voting in 6 polling units. I was paid for the job. But it does not affect the figures and facts in my report”, he said.
Under cross-examination by petitioner’s counsel, Akin Olujinmi, SAN, the witness while being confronted with his witness statement and the BVAS report (Exhibit RBVR) on accreditation figure in Ward 4, unit 7, he said, “in my witness statement, page 7, serial number 138, the accreditation figure as extracted on BVAS machine is 388, but on exhibit RBVR it is 313”.
He also disclosed that in some polling units with many voters, more than one BVAS machine can be used but only one form EC8A is deployed to the polling unit, adding that every BVAS machine has an identifier which states the polling unit it was used, and disclosed that BVAS machine cannot be reconfigured for any other purpose than election.
Meanwhile, the Personal Assistant to Governor Adeleke, Bunmi Jenyo also testified before the Justice Tertse Kume-led tribunal and tendered his (Adeleke’s) certificates before the court.
Meanwhile, counsel to the PDP, Alex Iziyon, SAN, opened his case and said he will not be calling any witnesses, having relied on evidence from other respondents’ witnesses.
He however tendered from the bar, eight documents already submitted to the panel.
Closing the sitting, Justice Kume adjourned the tribunal sitting till January 13, 2023, for the adoption of the final written address.
