THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate in the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, yesterday, called their witnesses to justify their claim that the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate in the election, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, did not win the election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Led in evidence by PDP counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko, SAN, one of the witnesses, Kennedy Osifo, tendered agents’ copies of the election results for 76 polling units in Ward II of Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the state, where he alleged four electoral irregularities.
He told the tribunal that 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, and 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 said he was the PDP local government collation officer in the poll and alleged that the INEC relied on incorrect scores to announce the final result of the election.
When cross-examined, Osifo said his testimonies were based strictly on the two documents and not on contacts with the agents.
On his part, Adebayo Ogedegbe told the tribunal of irregularities in 45 units across Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state and claimed to be the party collation officer for the local government, testified that the INEC computed incorrect scores that negated the records in the certified true copies.
For Owan West Local Government Area, Lucky Aroye, tendered agents’ copies of results in nine units where he said overvoting took place.
Aroye said there were no prior recordings of sensitive materials in seven units of the local government area, urging the tribunal to adopt his statement on oath as evidence in the case.
Meanwhile, Kalu Agabi, SAN, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN and Ijala, SAN, counsel to the INEC, Okpebholo and the APC respectively objected the admissibility of the tendered documents, but reserved their grounds to the final written addresses.
Justice Wilfred Kpochi, the Chairman of the tribunal in his ruling, said the documents were provisionally admitted in evidence.
