A forensic expert has testified before the Osun State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Osogbo.
On Thursday, Samuel Oduntan defended the forensic report conducted on election materials and BVAS machines in the July 16 governorship election.
He told the court that Governor Ademola Adeleke instructed him to carry out physical and digital examinations on the BVAS machines.
He added that the examinations were in line with the tribunal’s order of September 2, directing INEC to make the electoral materials available for inspection.
”The second respondent (Adeleke) instructed me to carry out physical inspection as well as digital forensic examination on the BVAS machine devices used for the election,” he said.
“I examined BVAS machines obtained from INEC, CTC of Forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, and EC8D,” he added.
“I also examined CTC of Forms EC40G, INEC Osun State Directory of Polling Units, 2022; BVAS Authentication Report and BVAS Machines.”
The forensic report was admitted as an exhibit by the tribunal after Mr. Oduntan was crossed-examined by the petitioners’ counsel, Akin Olujimi (SAN).
The former governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola, had approached the tribunal to contest the declaration of Ademola Adeleke as the winner of the July 16 election.
INEC declared Adeleke as the winner of the election with 402,349 votes to Oyetola’s 374,256.