A Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Hull, UK, Dr. Lateef Misbau, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to identify and punish its officials who were found to have erred in the conduct of the Osun governorship poll last July 16.
Alamu, an indigene of Ifon Orulu in an exclusive interview in Osun State PUNCH on Monday, he also said that the commission must be held accountable for the decision of the Court of Election Petitions that nullified the election result.
The panel headed by Tertsea Kume nullified the victory of Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party and declared Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress the winner of the poll after discarding the excess vote found in 744 units spread over 10 constituencies. government areas of the state.
However, there was a dissenting judgment by a member of the bench, Justice A. Ogbuli, who dismissed Oyetola’s application, saying the BVAS report on which the majority judgment was based was the product of controversies.
But the university body, specifically the delayed synchronization cited by INEC as the reason for the issuance of two BVAS reports for the Osun government polls, was foreign to the Electoral Act, adding that the manipulation of the BVAS reports should be looked into. identify and punish the Commission staff involved.
He further said, “INEC in Osun today must be kept in case of a clear compromise. INEC issued multiple BVAS reports and at different times openly complained about the integrity of the electoral process. It is now clearer that while BVAS itself is not flawed as a device, that there may be unscrupulous officials in collaboration with dubious politicians willing to subvert the process.
“Therefore, INEC owes explanations and apologies to the public. Above all, those who are considered complicit in the manipulation of BVAS reports must be identified and prosecuted.
For example, whoever came up with the idea of Osun synchronization should be punished. According to the Electoral Law and the Electoral Regulations there is no such thing as synchronization.”
Asked whether BVAS machines should not be used in the 2023 general elections, Misbau said that since the law made the use of BVAS mandatory, it may be too late to stop the polling deployment.
“In fact, I don’t think BVAS should be cancelled. The problem is not BVAS. The problem is corrupt officials who can compromise the system. That is why it is always important to apply laws against officials who do wrong, to be a deterrent to others”, he concluded.
