Tribunal: Adeleke Denies Admitting Over-Voting

Governor-elect of the state of Osun, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has dismissed a post circulating on social media, wherein, that he admitted over-voting in his response to the petition against his victory at the July 16 governorship poll pending before Election Petition Tribunal.

According to a statement on Monday, by the spokesperson to the governor-elect, Rasheed Olawale, said Adeleke’s defence was being twisted.

Olawale said Adeleke in his defence filed before the Tribunal dismissed the State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola’s claim of over-voting in 750 polling units, stressing that the over-voting was created by the incomplete data of BVAS based on the unsynchronised BVAS report that was used by the petitioners.

The statement further affirmed that the alleged over-voting by the petitioners does not represent what was contained on the BVAS machine and the Forms EC8A.

Adeleke explained that there were two aspects to the defence with respect to APC’s claim of over-voting, noting that first aspect was that there was over-voting in 750 polling units.

“The over-voting was created by the incomplete data of BVAS based on the unsynchronised BVAS report. This does not represent what is on the BVAS machine itself and the Forms EC8A. The correct result is as captured in the synchronised BVAS report which tallies with the data on the BVAS MACHINE itself”.

“The defence also affirmed further that even if the false over-voting in the unsynchronised BVAS report is unlikely admitted, the PDP will still be leading if votes from the affected six polling units are removed, adding however that “such admission is however impossible because the Tribunal will never rely on the unsynchronised BVAS report because is at variance with what is contained on the BVAS machine itself.

“The statement while clarifying that the digital footprint of the BVAS machine is verifiable, submitting that both Governor-elect and INEC have put the BVAS machines itself before the Tribunal for examination.

“The statement further noted that from the analysis on the BVAS machine itself and the Form EC8A which are the primary source as against BVAS report which is secondary, real over-voting occurred in only six polling units, submitting that if the votes in those six polling units are cancelled, PDP’s score will be 402,000 plus while the APC’s will be 374,000.”