Ogun Election Tribunal admits BVAS Reports and Other Documents as Exhibits Against Governor Abiodun

During the Ogun State governorship election petition Tribunal proceedings, reports from the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other relevant documents were admitted as evidence against Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Ladi Adebutu, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), filed a petition challenging Abiodun’s victory, alleging non-compliance with the Electoral Act and corrupt practices during the election.

Adebutu’s counsel, Goddy Uche (SAN), presented the BVAS reports, INEC results, and additional documents, totalling 8,000, before the three-member Tribunal. Uche requested the court to admit these documents as “exhibits” against Governor Abiodun.

However, the respondents requested the opportunity to inspect the documents before their admission from the bar. In response, the Chairman of the Tribunal, Hamidu Kunaza, granted both the petitioners and the respondents the time to inspect the undisputed documents on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the instruction to re-present them on Thursday.

Among the documents presented were the 176-page BVAS reports, a certificate of compliance, an INEC receipt, Form EC8A (declaration of result from INEC), Form EC8D (summary of results from local governments), Form EC8Cs for the 20 LGAs, and Form EC8Bs for specific local government areas.

During the resumed sitting on Thursday, Uche re-presented the documents, informing the court that the respondents had inspected them as ordered. Uche stated, “They (respondents) have inspected the documents and, subject to any other thing, we are ready for the tendering.”

Counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Remi Olatubora, confirmed that the commission indeed released the documents. Similarly, counsel for Governor Abiodun, Titilola Akinlawon, stated that the documents had been inspected, but objections to their admissibility would be reserved until the final addresses. The lawyer representing the All Progressives Congress (APC), Onyechi Ikpeazu, also noted that the party’s objections to some documents would be reserved until the final addresses.

The Hamidu Kunaza-led Tribunal ruled in favour of admission, marking the documents as exhibits. The Tribunal specified that all documents would be admitted from the bar, and objections would be reserved until the final addresses.