From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Wednesday, bombarded the Osun State election petition tribunal with 976 Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BIVAS) used for the ten Local Governments being challenged by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
 
The lead counsel to the INEC, Prof Paul Ananaba SAN, tendered the machines before the tribunal and they were admitted as exhibits.
 
However, the witness called by INEC, Abimbola Oladunjoye, a Desk Officer with the commission, explained that she took part in the July 16 governorship election as Osogbo LGA Technical Supervisor.
Led in evidence by Ananaba SAN, Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN of Governor Ademola Adeleke, and Alex Izinyon SAN of the PDP, she said the commission has not done synchronization of BIVAS machine and physical extraction when the CTC was issued to the petitioners.
She said, “the BIVAS machine, EC8A, and voter register, are the primary reports to rely on at a polling unit. They are used for the collation of results at the ward, LG, and state levels.
However, under cross-examination by the counsel to the petitioners, Akin Olujimi SAN, she said she did not officiate as presiding officer and the result of the election has been declared as at the time she signed the CTC.
When asked to compare her witness statement and the result in the CTC issued in Ede South, she said “there is seemingly over-voting of 75 votes.
In another ward, she said, “I have 830 in my witness statement and 793 in the document. There is seemingly over-voting of 37 votes.
“In paragraph 26.7 of my witness statement, 402 was recorded as the accreditation number, and 263 recorded in the BIVAS report. There is seemingly over-voting of 139 votes.
“It is true that I didn’t say that the document released was an interim but the date shows it was issued on 22nd August.”
Asked under re-examination to explain the word ‘seemingly,’ the witness said, “why I used the word seemingly is because I feel any comparison that should take place should be between EC8A and the physical BVAS machine. According to the INEC guidelines, voter accreditation figure and the total number of accredited voters is taken from the physical BVAS machine and written on EC8A,” she added.
The tribunal turned down the plea to return the BIVAS machines to the INEC office and ordered that they should be taken to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The case was adjourned to Thursday for continuation of hearing.