PDP Witnesses Accuse INEC of Improper Filling of Form EC8A

PDP Witnesses Accuse INEC of Improper Filling of Form EC8A

OSUN GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION TRIBUNAL UPDATE

By Our Reporter

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) witnesses on Thursday accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presiding officials deployed in the conduct of the governorship election in Osun State of not properly filling the various Forms EC8A after the close of voting on election days.

The witnesses stated this while testifying before the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Apo, Abuja, in the petition filed by the party and its candidate in the election, Senator Ademola Adeleke, against the victory of Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The petitioners alleged that the election was marred with massive rigging, vote buying and other forms of malpractices and that the election was not conducted by INEC in compliance with the laws.

Joined as respondents in the petition are INEC, Governor Oyetola and the APC.

Answering questions under cross examination by INEC counsel, Agbede Adesina, the PDP agent for Unit 9, Ward 4 of Olorunda Local Government Area, Adegoke Phillip Adetunji, informed the Tribunal that certain information, like the number of accredited voters was on the certified copy of Form EC8A tendered in evidence, these was not on the pink copy issued to him at the polling unit.

According to Adetunji, “I can see 245 (number of accredited voters) on the white copy but this is not on the pink copy I signed on the day of election.”

He stated that he signed the result sheet after complaining that the space meant for accredited voters was not filled by the presiding official on the result sheet, declaring that, “nobody listened to me.”

The witness further told the tribunal, while being cross examined by counsel to Governor Oyetota, John Bayeshea (SAN), that he did not have any complaint about the scores of political parties but he only complained about the improper filling of the result sheet.

According to him, “I have no complaint about scores of parties. My complaint is that the space for accredited voters was not filled.”

Another witness, Adepoju Bashiru Akanmu, the PDP agent for Unit 2, Ward 11 of Osogbo LGA, told the tribunal that he signed the white copy of the result sheet, saying that he did not have any complaints about the scores of parties.

“This one (certified copy) is fake. There is no recording of accredited voters on the pink copy,” he stated.

He told the tribunal that PDP score was 51, adding that the 537 recorded for the number of voters registered, 220 accredited voters and the 219 used ballots recorded in the respective spaces were not on the pink copy he was issued at the polling unit.

Ganiyu Sadia Motunrayo, who confirmed that she was not the person whose name was sent to INEC as PDP agent for Unit 3, Ward 18 of Osogbo LGA, told the tribunal that she complained about the non-recording of the accredited voters on the result sheet.

“INEC (officials) did not write the number of accredited voters. I complained about it but they did not write it till the end of election that day,” she stated.

The witness also told the tribunal that she did not have any complaints about the score of each party but the non-entry of the number of accredited voters on the Form EC8A (result sheet).

“My only complaint is that INEC did not write the accreditation number. Don’t you see my statement?” she asked APC counsel, Abiodun Layonu, who was cross examining her.

The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ibrahim Mohammed Sirajo, later adjourned continuation of hearing in the petitioners’ petition till Monday, January 14.

Related Articles