- Opposition witnesses in court have accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of manipulating result at the 2018 Osun governorship election
- The PDP witnesses said the electoral officials failed to record the number of accredited voter’s on the result sheets on polling days
- According to the PDP, the 2018 Osun gubernatorial election was marred with massive rigging
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) witnesses on Thursday, January 10, accused INEC presiding officers of manipulating results of the September 22 and 27, 2018 Osun governorship polls.
The witnesses told the Osun state governorship election petition tribunal sitting at the FCT high court, Abuja, that the INEC officials failed to record the number of accredited voter’s on the results sheets on polling days.
The petition was filed by the PDP 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 was not conducted in compliance with the Electoral Law.
Joined as respondents in the petition were INEC, Governor Oyetola and APC.
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During cross examination, PDP agent for Unit 9, Ward 4 of Olorunda local government area, Phillip Adetunji, said that vital information, such as the number of accredited voters on the certified copy of result sheet tendered in evidence were not on the pink copy issued to him at the polling unit.
“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.
”I have no complaint about scores of parties. My complaint is that the space for accredited voters was not filled," said the PDP witness.
Another witness, Adepoju 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.
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“This one (certified copy) is fake. There is no recording of accredited voters on the pink copy,” he stated.
Ganiyu Sadia Motunrayo, PDP agent for Unit 3, Ward 18 of Osogbo LGA, also 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 said.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ibrahim Sirajo, has adjourned for continuation of hearing of the petitioners’ case until Monday, January 14.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the PDP had earlier called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to probe the sudden relocation of the sitting of the Osun governorship election petition tribunal to Abuja.
The party, in a statement by its state chairman, Soji Adagunodo, on Sunday, November 11, in Osogbo, said the tribunal was relocated without informing counsel to the petitioner.
The secretary to the tribunal, Adamu Aliyu, in a statement on Saturday, November 10, in Osogbo, announced the relocation of its sitting to Abuja.
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Source: Legit.ng