Osun State Election Petition Tribunal hearing the petition of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola against Governor-elect Ademola Adeleke, has admitted more documents indicating over-voting during the July 16, 2022 governorship election in 42 wards.
The Nation recalls that the panel chaired by Justice Tertse Kume admitted documents, which include INEC Regulation and Guideline for the Election, INEC Manual for Electoral Officials, Forms EC& As which are election results for Osogbo, Ede North and Ede South local governments, among others.
At the hearing yesterday, counsel for Oyetola, Chief Yomi Aliu (SAN), tendered another set of Form EC8As, which were results of the election for 10 wards in Egbedore, 11 wards in Ejigbo, 10 wards in Ilesa West and 11 wards in Irepodun local government areas of the state.
Aliu, who tendered the documents against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Adeleke, told the tribunal that another schedule, containing the list of other documents to be tendered, had been given to the respondents’ counsel and they had jointly cross-checked the documents.
He then applied to tender the documentary evidence as exhibits, as listed in the schedule.
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Counsel for Adeleke, Niyi Owolade; PDP, Nathaniel Oke (SAN); and INEC, Olakunle Faokunla, confirmed that they have cross-checked the schedule and the documents listed therein.
They took objection to the admissibility of the documents and indicated that they would canvass argument in their final written addresses.
Ruling, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Tertsea Kume, admitted the evidence and marked them as exhibits.
After the ruling, the petitioners’ counsel told the tribunal that the respondents had been furnished with another schedule of the documents, to be tendered at the next hearing.
Counsel for the respondents confirmed they had been served and indicated that they would use the schedule to cross-check the documentary evidence before they were tendered.
The tribunal subsequently adjourned the continuation of hearing till tomorrow (today).