Witnesses for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday presented evidence of alleged irregularities that marred the September 21, 2024, Edo State governorship election. The PDP, dissatisfied with the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) declaration of Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner, has challenged the results in court.
The election was held across 18 local government areas in Edo State, with Okpebholo announced as the victor on Monday. However, PDP candidate Asue Ighodalo has sought to overturn the outcome, citing discrepancies in the voting process.
During the tribunal session, PDP’s counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko, led testimonies from several witnesses. Kennedy Osifo, the party’s local government collation officer, provided agents’ copies of election results from 76 polling units in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area, highlighting four alleged electoral irregularities. Osifo claimed that discrepancies between the results and the BVAS accreditation report from INEC’s IREV portal contributed to the incorrect announcement of the election result.
In his testimony, Osifo emphasized that his claims were based solely on the documents, not on direct contact with polling agents. He insisted that INEC had relied on incorrect scores to announce the final result.
A second witness, Adebayo Ogedegbe, the PDP collation officer for Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, alleged irregularities in 45 polling units. Ogedegbe claimed that INEC had used incorrect figures in 41 units and highlighted overvoting in four units. He sought to submit the agents’ copies of the results for these units as evidence.
For Owan West Local Government Area, Lucky Aroye tendered agents’ copies of results from nine units, claiming overvoting had occurred. Aroye also alleged that there were no prior recordings of sensitive materials in seven units of the local government.
Counsel for INEC, Okpebholo, and the APC objected to the admissibility of the documents presented, reserving their objections for the final written addresses. The tribunal chairman, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, provisionally admitted the documents into evidence and adjourned the proceedings until Wednesday for further hearings.
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