The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) engaged in a tense exchange at the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Thursday over allegations of witness intimidation.
The dispute unfolded shortly after the three-member panel, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, began its proceedings. Ken Mozia, SAN, the lead counsel for the PDP and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, claimed that several witnesses slated to testify in the case had been threatened. He stated that while the names of the witnesses had been coded using acronyms, their identities were still recognizable based on their roles during the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
Mozia expressed concern that the intimidation had made some witnesses fearful of testifying. “We provided the list of witnesses, but what has been done to some of them is beyond imagination, to the point where they are afraid to come forward,” he told the court. He also mentioned that he had previously raised the issue with Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, counsel for the APC.
In response, Ukala dismissed the allegation, asserting that the petitioners knew how to handle any threats to their witnesses. Justice Kpochi, seeking to avoid further confrontation, urged the petitioners to provide the respondents with the witness list in advance.
Amid the tension, Eseigbe Victor, the PDP’s Ward Agent in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, took the witness stand to testify on behalf of the petitioners.
The PDP and Ighodalo are challenging the outcome of the election, in which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Okpebholo of the APC as the winner with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who secured 247,655 votes. The petitioners contend that the election should be annulled due to alleged violations of the Electoral Act, and they argue that Okpebholo did not receive the highest number of lawful votes. The petition, marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, seeks to overturn INEC’s declaration of Okpebholo as the winner.
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