Edo Election Tribunal: PDP Witnesses Allege Irregularities in Three LGs

Witnesses of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday, gave testimonies on how irregularities allegedly marred the Sept. 21, 2024, Edo governorship election in three Local Governments (LGs) of the state.

The PDP and its candidate in the election, Dr Asue Ighodalo, are challenging the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Gov. Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner.

Being led in evidence by Abiodun Owonikoko, PDP counsel in the petition, one of the witnesses, Kennedy Osifo, tendered agents’ copies of the election results for 76 polling units.

The polling units are in Ward II of Ikpoba Okha local government area, where he alleged four electoral irregularities.

According to him, the irregularities were observed when the agents’ copies were examined alongside the certified true copies of the results of BVAS accreditation report obtained from the INEC’s IREV portal.

He said that the discrepancies had been highlighted in his witness statement on oath, which he urged the tribunal to adopt in evidence in the case.

Osifo, who said that he was the PDP local government collation officer in the poll, alleged that the INEC relied on incorrect scores to announce the election’s final result.

When cross-examined, Osifo said that his testimonies were based strictly on the two documents and not on contacts with the agents.

On his part, Adebayo Ogedegbe alleged cases of irregularities in 45 units across Akoko-Edo LG of the state.

Ogedegbe, the party collation officer for the local government, testified that INEC computed incorrect scores that negated the records in the certified true copies in 41 of these units.

The witness alleged overvoting in the four other units, seeking to tender the agents’ copies of the results of these units in evidence to corroborate his claims.

For Owan West LG, Lucky Aroye tendered agents’ copies of results in nine units where he also alleged overvoting.

Aroye said that there were no prior recordings of sensitive materials in seven units of the LG, urging INEC to adopt his statement on oath as evidence in the case.

When asked if the witness was able to visit all the units in the local government as the collation officer, he said there was no way he could have done that, considering the number.

Meanwhile, messers Kalu Agabi, Onyechi Ikpeazu, and Ukala, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), counsels to INEC, Okpebholo, and the APC, objected to the admissibility of the tendered documents.

The lawyers, however, reserved their grounds to the final written addresses.

Justice Wilfred Kpochi, the chairman of the tribunal, in his ruling, said that the documents were provisionally admitted in evidence.

Kpochi adjourned the sitting until Wednesday for continuation of hearing.