INEC CONFESSES TO OVERVOTING IN POLLING UNITS IN THE OSUN GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, confessed yesterday to “apparently” overvoting in several polling units during the state’s governorship election on July 16.

Former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress, APC, are disputing INEC’s declaration of Governor Ademola Adeleke before the state’s election petition tribunal, which is overseen by Justice Tertse Kume.

Under cross-examination from the petitioner’s attorney, Akin Okujinmi, SAN, a Deputy Director in charge of Information and Communication Technology, Abimbola Oladunjoye, stated there was overvoting in the polling units she was confronted with at the resumed hearing on Wednesday.

“In paragraph 21.35 of my witness statement at page 413: the total votes cast is 388 accredited votes 388, but exhibit RBVR1, BVAS report tendered by the commission at page 25, ward 4 unit 7 Ede-South, accreditation record is 313 against 388,” Olujinmi said, referring the witness to her statement under oath and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, report tendered in the exhibit by INEC. Based on RBVR 1-129 and my witness statement, there appears to be an overvote of 75.

“Paragraph 21.36, the accreditation figure in my witness statement is 830, exhibit RBVR1 accreditation figure there is 793, based on the exhibit and my witness statement, there is seemingly over the voting of 37.

“In paragraph 26.7 of the witness testimony on page 549, the accreditation figure is 402, in exhibit RBVR, the accreditation figure is 263, and there appears to be an overvote of 139. In paragraph 23.24 of the witness statement on page 476, the accreditation figure is 448 in exhibit RBVR1, the accreditation figure is 224, and there appears to be overvoting of 224.”

However, upon being re-examined by counsel to INEC, Paul Ananaba, SAN, about what she meant by seemingly, she said: “I used the word presumably because any comparison that should take place should be between EC8A and the physical BVAS machine. The voter accreditation figure and total number of accredited voters are collected from the physical BVAS machine and printed on form EC8A, according to INEC norms.”

The 976 BVAS machines were allowed and marked as exhibit by the Justice Kume-led panel.