The Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has admitted into evidence Certified True Copies (CTC) of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) reports demonstrating over-voting in favor of Senator Ademola Adeleke in the state’s governorship election on July 16.
Adeleke’s diploma from Penn Foster High School, B.Sc certificate from Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Letter of Attestation dated May 22, 2016, from Ede Muslim High School, NYSC Certificate of Exception, and some other documents were also admitted as exhibits by the tribunal, led by Justice Tertsea Kume.
Forms EC8As for Olorunda, Obokun, and Ila Local Government Areas are also admitted, forms EC8Bs, which are ward results, and forms EC8Cs, which are the results of each of the ten local government areas being challenged-forms EC8D, which is a summary of the overall result; EC8Es, the declaration of the result, and form EC9.
The state Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are challenging Adeleke’s declaration as the winner of the election in ten local government areas by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as his eligibility to run in the election.
At the resumed hearing of the petition yesterday, counsel for Oyetola, Dr. Saka Layoonu (SAN), tendered additional documentary evidence, including the CTC of the much celebrated BVAS reports, which indicated that the number of accredited voters is lower than the total number of votes cast in the said councils.
Layoonu, while formally tendering the documents, informed the court that the evidence had been jointly cross-checked by both parties and the secretariat of the tribunal and confirmed to be accurate.
Respondents’ counsel, Jamiu Olabode (INEC), Niyi Owolade (Adeleke), and Nathaniel Oke, (PDP), objected to the admissibility of the documents and indicated that they would canvass arguments in the final written addresses.
The tribunal, in its ruling admitted the documents in evidence, marked them as exhibits and adjourned till November 16.
Earlier, the PDP counsel, Oke raised the alarm before the court, alleging that the media reports being circulated were not actually what transpired in court, and said: “My Lords, we are not comfortable with the reports of proceedings by pressmen in this court.”
But the tribunal chairman, while responding, asked for evidence, hard facts to that effect.
The panel further said it was unaware of any inaccurate reportage of its proceedings, saying: “We can’t comment on what we don’t know, unless you come up with hard facts. We are not here for social media commentaries.”
