The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Edo State governorship candidate Asue Ighodalo, on Monday, closed their case at the state’s Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PDP and Mr Ighodalo lodged the petition to challenge the outcome of last year’s governorship election, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declare was won by Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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The petitioners joined the INEC, the APC and Mr Okpebholo as the respondents to their petition.
When the matter was called, the lead counsel for the petitioners, Robert Emukpoeruo, SAN, told the tribunal that his clients had concluded their case having called 19 witnesses.
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INEC tendered five additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines that were used for accreditation of voters during the election.
The electronic devices were tendered by Anthony Itodo, a Senior Technical Officer in the ICT Department of the commission.
They were admitted in evidence even though all the respondents in the matter objected saying they would give their reasons in their final written addresses.
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NAN recalls that the tribunal had earlier admitted in evidence, a total of 148 BVAS machines used in 133 polling units where results of the election are being disputed by the petitioners.
The Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member tribunal subsequently adjourned the matter until 5 February for INEC to open its defence.
ADP too closes case
Similarly, the ADP also closed its case following the testimony of its chairperson in Edo State, Francis Obamwonyi.
Mr Obamwonyi told the tribunal that he would be surprised if anyone told him that the party’s candidate in the election also doubled as the state collation agents since that was his responsibility.
The witness also told the tribunal that his party scored a total of 1,119 votes in the election that INEC declared the APC and its candidate as winners.
When asked to substantiate the allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, over-voting, harassment and intimidation, contained in his witness statement, he said he wrote it based on the reports of his party’s agents at various polling units.
The tribunal then fixed 6 February for INEC to open its defence in the case.
APC chair reacts to PDP case
In an interview with NAN, the chairperson of APC in Edo State, Jarrett Tenebe, said that the PDP closed its case abruptly because they had no case ab initio and that it was an indication that they had abandoned the case.
“They were called to testify but couldn’t produce more witnesses, so closing their case at this point amounts to abandonment of the case.
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“If you are challenging about seven hundred and something polling units and you call only 19 witnesses, does that not amount to abandonment?
“I think they do not have a case that is why they hurriedly closed their case today which is a good thing for the APC,” Mr Tenebe said.
Mr Tenebe expressed confidence that when the APC opened its case, the whole country and the people of Edo State in particular would know that the APC won the election.
NAN reports that INEC had declared Mr Okpebholo of the APC as winner of the 21 September 2024 election, polling 291, 667 votes to defeat his closet rival, Mr Ighodalo of the PDP, who scored 247, 655 votes.
Not satisfied with INEC’s declaration, the PDP and Mr Ighodalo approached the tribunal, asking it to nullify INEC’s declaration of the APC and its candidate as winners of the election.
In the petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, the petitioners alleged that Mr Okpebholo did not secure the highest number of lawful votes and that the election was invalid on grounds of non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
(NAN)
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