The witnesses of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday, gave testimonies on how irregularities allegedly marred the 21 September 2024 Edo governorship election in three local government areas of the state.
The PDP and its candidate in the election, Asue Ighodalo, are challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner.
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Being led in evidence by Abiodun Owonikoko, the PDP counsel in the petition, one of the witnesses, Kennedy Osifo, tendered agents’ copies of the election results for 76 polling units.
The polling units are in Ward II of Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the state, where he alleged four electoral irregularities.
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According to him, the irregularities were observed when the agents’ copies were examined alongside the certified true copies of the results of the BVAS accreditation report obtained from the INEC’s IREV portal.
He said that the discrepancies had been highlighted in his witness statement on oath, which he urged the tribunal to adopt as evidence in the case.
Mr Osifo, who said he was the PDP local government collation officer in the poll, alleged that the INEC relied on incorrect scores to announce the election’s final result.
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When cross-examined, Mr Osifo said that his testimonies were based strictly on the two documents and not on contacts with the agents.
Adebayo Ogedegbe, for his part, alleged irregularities in 45 units across the Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Ogedegbe, the local government area’s party collation officer, testified that INEC computed incorrect scores that negated the records in the certified true copies in 41 of these units.
The witness alleged overvoting in the four other units, seeking to tender the agents’ copies of the results of these units in evidence to corroborate his claims.
For Owan West Local Government Area, Lucky Aroye tendered agents’ copies of results in nine units, where he also alleged overvoting.
Mr Aroye said that there were no prior recordings of sensitive materials in seven units of the local government area and urged the court to adopt his statement on oath as evidence in the case.
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When asked if the witness was able to visit all the units in the local government as the collation officer, he said there was no way he could have done that, considering the number.
Meanwhile, Messrs Kalu Agabi, Onyechi Ikpeazu, and Ukala, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria and counsels to INEC, Okpebholo, and the APC, objected to the admissibility of the tendered documents.
The lawyers, however, reserved their grounds to the final written addresses.
In his ruling, Wilfred Kpochi, the tribunal’s chairperson, said the documents were provisionally admitted in evidence.
Justice Kpochi adjourned the sitting until Wednesday for the continuation of the hearing.
(NAN)
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