The Ekiti State Election Petitions Tribunal resumed its sitting yesterday with revelations of discrepancies in the results of the governorship rerun election conducted in Usi Ward in Ido/Osi Local Government Area.
Witnesses brought to the tribunal to give evidence in support of the victory of Governor Segun Oni were jolted in the witness box as they were confronted with discrepancies discovered in the official result sheets they tendered before the tribunal.
Some witnesses admitted under cross-examination that the total number of ballot papers used exceeded the total number of ballot papers supplied to their units.
They passed the buck of to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which organised the election.
A witness admitted before the tribunal that his children wrote his statement on oath.
It was the continuation of hearing of the defence of Oni, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard bearer at the poll, whose election is being challenged by the Action Congress (AC) and its flag bearer, Dr. Kayode Fayemi over alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2006 and the election manual.
The tribunal had on Friday adjourned sitting to yesterday to allow the Chairman, Hon. Justice Hamma Barka, attend the funeral of his stepmother who passed on last week in Gombe State.
Six witnesses testified. They were Adufe Omotayo, Adebayo Ilori, Kolawole Lawrence, Obasola Olofin and Akinyemi Ojo.
They claimed the election was free and fair, and devoid of any violence.
Records supplied in Form EC8A (the official results sheet) tendered for Unit 10 in Usi Ward, showed that the presiding officer could not account for 10 ballot papers out of the 300 ballot papers issued to the unit.
Also, the presiding officer for Unit 16 in the ward, recorded 450 as the number of ballot papers issued, while he recorded 511 as the total number of ballot papers issued in the Form EC8A where the result was recorded.
The implication was that the number of ballot papers used in the affected units exceeded the number of those supplied for the April 25 rerun poll.
A witness, Adebayo Ilori, who was led in his evidence-in-chief by Oni’s counsel, Mr. Adebayo Adenipekun (SAN), had tendered the result issued to him as the PDP agent for Unit 10 in Usi Ward.
He said the election conducted in the unit was free, fair and devoid of violence.
Ilori, the respondent witness 10 (RW 10), under cross-examination from the petitioners’ counsel, Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), said 300 ballot papers were issued to his unit, with 25 recorded as unused and 257 as valid votes and eight ballot papers rejected.
Pressed to sum up used and unused ballot papers, the witness arrived at 290 ballot papers.
He said 10 ballot papers were unaccounted for in the official result sheet, Form EC8A for the unit.
