The legal battle over the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State took center stage on Tuesday as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, presented witnesses to contest the victory of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
The PDP, represented by its counsel Abiodun Owonikoko, SAN, argued before the election petition tribunal that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced incorrect results and failed to accurately reflect the will of the people.
Witnesses testified to alleged irregularities across multiple local government areas, citing discrepancies between polling unit results and the BVAS accreditation reports accessed through INEC’s IREV portal.
One of the witnesses, Kennedy Osifo, who served as the PDP’s collation officer for Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, claimed that significant discrepancies were uncovered in 76 polling units within Ward II. He alleged that INEC relied on inaccurate figures to declare the final results.
Tendering agents’ copies of election results alongside certified true copies from INEC’s BVAS reports, Osifo stated, “The irregularities I observed were clearly documented in my witness statement on oath.”
He urged the tribunal to adopt his statement as evidence while acknowledging during cross-examination that his testimony was based solely on documents, not direct interaction with polling unit agents.
Further claims of electoral malpractice came from Adebayo Ogedegbe, who coordinated results for Akoko-Edo Local Government Area. He pointed to irregularities in 45 polling units, alleging that INEC computed incorrect scores contrary to certified results.
In Owan West Local Government Area, Lucky Aroye presented agents’ copies of results from nine units, alleging cases of overvoting and failure to record sensitive election materials in seven polling units. Like his counterparts, Aroye urged the tribunal to adopt his witness statement as evidence.
Counsel for INEC, the APC, and Senator Okpebholo—led by Kalu Agabi, SAN; Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN; and Ijala, SAN—objected to the admissibility of the tendered documents but reserved their arguments for final written submissions.
Justice Wilfred Kpochi, the tribunal chairman, provisionally admitted the documents into evidence, paving the way for further scrutiny.
The first PDP witness admitted under cross-examination that he was not directly involved in polling activities and relied on a “situation room” to observe results. Similarly, the second witness testified to overseeing results from 241 polling units in Akoko-Edo but acknowledged that sensitive BVAS materials were not inspected in the situation room.
This tribunal case reflects the high stakes of electoral integrity in Nigeria’s democratic process. If the PDP’s claims of irregularities hold water, they could cast doubt on the transparency and accuracy of INEC’s election management system, including its deployment of BVAS technology.
Beyond the courtroom drama, the case has broader implications for governance and public trust.
The tribunal has adjourned until today (Wednesday) for further hearing.
