The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa, has dismissed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s petition alleging over-voting in the recent governorship election, describing it as baseless and uninformed.
Addressing journalists in Benin City, Idahosa criticized the PDP for filing petitions without verifying facts, stating that results from affected polling units had already been cancelled, in line with electoral regulations.
“In Unit 4, Ward 7, Usen, the results were cancelled due to over-voting, as required by law. Yet, PDP petitioned against these results without knowing they were never included in the final tally,” he explained.
He further pointed out that an All Progressives Congress (APC) witness confirmed in court that the cancelled results were not computed in the final count.
“Why would PDP challenge results that do not exist? It shows they do not understand the process,” Idahosa stated.
Citing the provisions of the Electoral Act 2020 (as amended), he emphasized that over-voting leads to automatic result cancellation, eliminating the need for legal disputes.
“The onus is on PDP to prove their case, but their witnesses have contradicted themselves in court. Our legal team may not even need to call any witness,” he added.
Idahosa also accused the opposition party of turning the tribunal proceedings into a media campaign rather than focusing on legal arguments. He expressed confidence in the judiciary to uphold the law and dismiss what he described as an unsubstantiated case.
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