As testimonies continue in the ongoing Osun Tribunal sitting in Osogbo, the state capital, a forensic expert, Mr Samuel Oduntan, yesterday told the Tribunal that Senator Ademola Adeleke duly won the July 16 election with 402,349 votes to beat Mr Gboyega Oyetola who polled 374,256.
The report which the Tribunal accepted as a key document posited that the above figures were arrived at after reviewing cases of irregularities. The forensic expert, Oduntan posited that “pursuant to the Order of this Honourable Tribunal dated 2nd day of September, 2022 directing the 1st Respondent (INEC) to allow the 2nd Respondent inspect all the electoral materials used in the conduct of the Osun State Governorship Election, the 2nd Respondent instructed me to carry out the physical inspection as well as digital forensic examination on the BVAS machine devices used for the election”.
Noting that he is familiar with all relevant Electoral Documents based on experience since 1999 viz: Voter Registers, Form EC8 series, EC25 Series, EC40 series, Ballot papers, other relevant electoral forms/ Guidelines and electoral devices, Oduntan noted that the Respondent instructed him to carry out statistical analysis on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) form EC8 Series used during the conduct of the election and also to carry out Digital Forensic Examination of the BVAS machines used in the conduct of election.
“I examined the following documents (materials)/ BVAS machines obtained from or supplied by INEC: CTC of Forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C & EC8D ii) CTC of Forms EC40G (where provided) iii) INEC Osun State Directory of Polling Units, 2022 iv) BVAS Authentication Report v) BVAS Machines vi) INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of elections, 2022 and (vii) Manual for Election Officials 2022.
The report posited that of the 750 polling units being challenged by the petitioner, only six have issues as per over-voting as alleged in the petition with 771 votes of APC affected while affected votes of the PDP was 1, 022.
