TheCable

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why there was “seemingly over-voting” in some polling units during the July 16 governorship election in Osun state.

Testifying before the election petitions tribunal on Wednesday, Abimbola Oladunjoye, deputy director in the ICT department of the commission, cited some figures that contradict the recorded numbers of accredited voters in the BVAS report in possession of the petitioners.

Under cross-examination by Akin Olujimi, counsel to former governor Gboyega Oyetola, the INEC official said there was “seemingly” over-voting of 75 in a particular polling unit in Ede South LGA.

“Based on BVR12179 and my witness statement, there is seemingly over-voting of 75,” she said.

Oladunjoye, who took part in the election as LGA technical supervisor, also said there was over-voting in other polling units in the same LGA.

“There is a seemingly over-voting of 37 votes. Accreditation is 830,” she added.

She also stated that contrary to her witness statement, there was another case of over-voting in yet another polling unit.

“Accreditation figure; I have 402 in my witness statement and on exhibits 12179, I have 263, that is over-voting of 139,” she said.

Speaking about another unit, she said: “In my witness statement, I have 448 and on the BVR12179, I have 224. There are seemingly over-votings of 224.”

Explaining why the term “seemingly over-voting” was used, the INEC official said data from the BVAS machines had not been synchronised when the petitioners asked INEC for the BVAS accreditation data.

“We got a letter from a law firm, I cannot remember the name of the law firm,” she said.

“The firm was requesting BVAS accreditation data and because we had a limited time to issue the letter and also FOI Act was binding on us and also the electoral law stating that we must release data between 10 days, we had to issue what we had as at that time. That was what we had at the back end.

“The report was issued on 27th of August when synchronisation was ongoing. According to guidelines, the total accreditation figure is taken from the physical BVAS machine and written on the EC8A.

“Why I used the word seemingly over-voting is because any comparison that should take place should be between the EC8A and the physical BVAS machine.”