2nd August, 2011
The Nigeria Police on Tuesday tendered a document by a Senior Forensic Expert as an evidence showing that the Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chairman, Bashorun Dayo Soremi and four others forged a signature to aid the substitution of the candidate for Remo Federal Constituency, Hon. Dave Salako.
The accused are standing trial before an Abuja Magistrate’s court presided over by Senior Magistrate Oyebola Oyewunmi.
Others are Semiu Oladipo (Secretary), Adeja Olokun, Abiodun Taiwo and Aree Olufemi Dehinsilu.
At the resumed trial, a Chief Superintendent of Police, Adebowale Williams tendered a report of a handwriting analyst authored by a Senior Forensic Document Examiner, DSP Olufemi Ayodele and marked Ex ‘A’.
He was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Simon Lough.
The document revealed that the purported signature of Salako on the letter of voluntary withdrawal submitted by Soremi and others to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, did not match Salako’s true signature.
It also revealed that the handwriting on the controversial letter of voluntary withdrawal was at variance with Salako’s true handwriting.
It reads in part: “Examination and Result:- Forensic examination and comparison conducted into the identifying characteristics of the handwriting/signature on the disputed document marked ‘B’ and those found and noted on the contemporary Standard Specimen marked A-A1 via FOSTER+FREEMAN document Comparator machine, WALTEX LENS and Video Spectral, revealed amidst others defective line qualities on the Signature, tremulous curvatures, unnatural starts and terminal, common to a class of forged signature known as FREE-HAND SIMULATION and when these aforementioned trade marks and traits were compared with the master model specimen signature submitted for examination, the CONTRASTING features were obvious.
“Further examination of the handwriting on the disputed document revealed that the author of the submitted Specimen handwriting marked A1 cannot be held responsible to have written the controversial Letter marked Specimen ‘B’.â€
The trial continues on 9 August.
Salako had in a petition to the Inspector-General of Police and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission alleged that the accused persons collected the sum of N100 million from Oladipupo Adebutu to replace him before the Independent National Electoral Commission without his consent or approval.
By  Nnamdi Felix / Abuja