INYMI: Osun governorship election: How INEC altered results — Tribunal

The Independent National Electoral Commission has been carpeted for the role it played in the manipulation of the results of the Osun State governorship election.
The Osun State Election Petition Tribunal carpeted INEC on Friday when it delivered judgement in the election held in September 2018, with Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress declared as winner.
In the main judgement delivered by Justice Peter Obiorah, supported by Justice Adegboyega Gbolagunte, the Tribunal said INEC altered the results of the election after the agents of parties had certified them okay.
The judgement, to which the Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Muhammad Sirajo, dissented, said INEC, the first defendant, did not act as an unbiased umpire.
It reads in part: “We cannot close the judgement without making a comment on what we observed to be the conduct of the first respondent.
“We know that a substantial number of the Certified True Copies of the Forms EC8A either had figures on them altered or had figures entered on them in columns 1-8 thereof.
“The alteration in figures and fresh filling of the columns were not on the pink copies of the forms EC8A distributed to the parties polling agents on the day of the election which were tendered before this Honourable Tribunal.
“The obvious implication of this unfortunate development is that the 1st Respondent went to work on the document after the election behind the parties.
“The 1st Respondent should realise that it holds an office of public trust and should at all times strive to maintain the sanctity of the electoral process.
“In conclusion, based on our resolution of all the issues for determination and our findings, we hereby declare that there is merit in this petition.
“We, accordingly, make the following final orders:
“1: The second respondent, Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola, was not duly elected and/or returned by majority of lawful votes cast in the Osun State governorship election held on Saturday, 22nd September and the rerun election of Thursday, 27th September, 2018 and therefore his declaration and return as the Governor-elect of Osun State is null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”