Day of the Statistician at Osun Governorship Election Tribunal

Proceedings started at the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal
in Abuja Thursday with the presentation of a report by the Osun
State branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) election
monitoring group.

The representative of the group was cross examined by counsels
to the All Progressives Congress (APC) , Alhaji Lasun Sanusi (SAN),
John Bayeshea representing the Osun State Governor, Alhaji Gboyega
Oyetola and Mr. Kpondu, counsel to the Imdependent National
Electoral Commission (INEC).

The tribunal was thrown into a brief spell of laughter when its
chairman, Mohammed Sirajo, stated that an affirmation done either
with or without, the Bible or Quoran, is an oath. He stated that at
the court where he presides they don’t use either of the holy books
because people started stealing them. So they decided to adopt
personal affirmation as oaths for witnesses. He further buttressed
this by stating that despite oaths with the holy books people still
carryon, howsoever, they like.

The proceedings reached a climax with the entry of Mr. Samuel
Oduntan, an expert Statistician recruited by the petitioner, Sen.
Ademola Adeleke governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) , to review alleged obvious discrepancies in the pink
copies of forms EC8As issued to all the political parties at the
polling units and the copies of same retrieved from INEC office.
The report was a summary of his findings after physical inspections
and statistical analysis of all the forms EC8As.

His report was premised on three key issues; over voting, non
accreditation of voters, and ballot count verification. His report
indicated a total of 13,994 excess score illegally and inexplicably
added to the scores of the APC candidate, Governor Gboyega Oyetola
by INEC officials. If this was deducted, the PDP candidate, Senator
Ademola Adeleke won the polls of September 22, 2018 and the rerun
of September 27, was a contrived illegality.

INEC counsel questioned why Oduntan didn’t mention the use of
the voters register in his averrement but the Statistician replied
that it was in his report. He also stated that he was not in osun
for the elections. He affirmed that he based his report solely on
the documents provided to him, that is, the pink copies of forms
EC8As from the petitioner and certified true copies of same
retrieved from INEC office.

Mr. John Bayeshea counsel to Governor Oyetola put to him that he
isn’t an election expert but a Statistician. He also asked if he
was being paid and he replied that as a professional he deserves
his fees. Thereafter, Alh. Lasun Sanusi SAN, lawyer to APC also
cross examined the witness. He asked him why his report was limited
to only 342 polling units out of the 3100 polling units in the
state stating that was a mere 8% but Mr. Oduntan countered that the
inspection and analysis covered the entire polling units but the
342 or 11% were the polling units with alleged discrepancies.

The tribunal chairman adjourned sitting till Friday at
12:48pm.