….Admits Adeleke’s alleged forged

By Shina Abubakar 

OSUN State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has admitted in evidence, the Certified True Copies, CTC, of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, reports brought before it by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, alleging over-voting in favour of Senator Ademola Adeleke during the July 16 governorship election in the state.

The Justice Tertsea Kume-led panel also admitted in evidence Adeleke’s Diploma Certificate from Penn Foster High School, B.Sc Certificate from Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Letter of Attestation dated 22/5/2016 from Ede Muslim High School, NYSC certificate of exemption and some other documents, as exhibits.

Also admitted are forms EC8As, for Olorunda, Obokun and Ila local governments, forms EC8Bs which are results of the wards and forms EC8Cs- the results of each of the 10 local governments being challenged, forms EC8D which is the summary of the overall result, EC8Es the declaration of the result and form EC9. 

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 alleged 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’ counsels, Jamiu Olabode (INEC), Niyi Owolade (Adeleke) and Nathaniel Oke, SAN (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.

Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress, APC,  are challenging the declaration of Adeleke by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as winner of the election, alleging over voting in 749 polling units across 10 local government areas. They are also challenging Adeleke’s qualification to stand for the election.

certificate, others as exhibits