The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate for the 2024 Edo State governorship election, Asue Ighodalo, on Friday, opened his case at the election petition tribunal, tendering vital documents used in the election to support their allegations of rigging.
Ighodalo told the tribunal that the election was marred by widespread irregularities which made the Independent National Electoral Commission declare the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Monday Okpehbolo, the winner of the poll.
He told the panel that he scored the highest valid votes cast at the election, wondering why INEC would declare Okpehbolo the winner, despite the alleged noncompliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 as amended.
At the resumption of hearing of the case, lead counsel to the petitioners, Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, tendered from the bar Certified True Copy of Form EC8E (INEC final declaration result sheet of the poll) in support of the petitioners’ case.
Kenneth Mozia, SAN, who represented Oyeyipo, conducted the presentations and also tendered CTC of Form EC8D (summary of results from local government areas collation).
Other documents tendered before the tribunal by counsel to the petitioners are CTCs of form EC8Cs, covering the 18 local government areas in the state, forms EC8B (wards results sheets) used for the conduct of the election in the 192 wards in the state, 320 CTC Form EC8A documents (polling units results sheets), CTCs of INEC’s polling units booklets, each containing Form EC25D, and CTCs of Form EC8A (IREV).
Lead counsel to INEC, Okpebholo and APC (1st to 3rd respondents), Kanu Agabi, SAN, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, and D.C. Denwigwe, SAN, who held the brief of Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, objected to the admissibility of the documents.
The respondents’ counsels told the panel that they would adduce reasons for their objections to the petitioners’ CTC documents at the final address stage of the petition.
In response, Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led Tribunal, provisionally admitted all the documents tendered in evidence and marked them as exhibits.
“Learned counsel to the respondents shall state their reasons for their objections at the address stage”, Justice Kpochi held.
Hearing on the petition continues today (Saturday), as the petitioners are expected to tender more documents in support of their petitions.
In a petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, Ighodalo and PDP are contesting INEC’s declaration of Governor Okpebholo as winner of the election.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
