Forensic examiner testifies against Abiodun in Ogun Election Tribunal, tenders analysis of 150,656 ballot papers

A forensic examiner and retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, Reginald Nwoze, on Thursday, tendered 150,656 ballot papers used for the conduct of the March 18 governorship election in the state before the Ogun State Election Petition Tribunal.

During his cross-examination by counsel to respondents, Nwoze told the tribunal that he examined and analysed the ballot papers from 12 local government areas of the state.

The Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate in the state, Ladi Adebutu, in the petition marked, EPT/OG/GOV/03/2023 are challenging the victory of the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, who was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission in the March 18 governorship election.

He told the tribunal that the ballot papers tendered were sourced from the INEC.

While breaking down the ballot papers, Nwoze said, 37,401 were with multiple thumbprints, 3,470 were smushed and smeared, and 109,785 were with regular thumbprints.

Showing the court his findings, Nwoze alleged that some of the ballot papers whose votes were cast in favour of APC were marked with markers instead of being thumb printed.

The tribunal admitted in evidence 150,656 ballot papers used for the election in the state. They also admitted a piece of video evidence tendered by a star witness for the PDP, Sunkanmi Oyejide. The documents were admitted in evidence to support the petition filed by the PDP and Adebutu.

Counsel to INEC, Remi Olatubora; counsel to Abiodun and Onyechi Ikpeazu of the APC, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, in their separate submissions had kicked against the video evidence, asking the tribunal not to admit same.

Olatubora described the video recording as “absolutely inadmissible.”

Osipitan and Ikpeazu in their various submissions also rejected the admissibility of the clip, which they described as “hearsay.”