BREAKING: PDP, Ighodalo call more witnesses in Edo guber election petition

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, presented three additional witnesses from different local government areas before the Edo Governorship Election Tribunal in Benin City.

The witnesses were called to support their claim of winning the September 21, 2024, governorship election and to challenge the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

At the tribunal hearing, Destiny Enabulele, one of the witnesses, testified about alleged irregularities that affected the election in his local government area.

He explained that his assertions were based on an examination of documents used during the election, including certified true copies of INEC’s ward collation results.

The petitioners, represented by their lead counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), are contesting INEC’s declaration, claiming the election was marred by widespread irregularities.

He said: “These are documents I examined carefully to arrive at my witness statement on oath. There was no prior recording of sensitive materials deployed by INEC to 19 polling Units in Ovia South West Local Government Area.”

Asked by counsel to the respondents whether he participated in the making of the documents he used to arrive at his statement on oath, Enabulele said he only participated in the making of Form EC8C, which is the ward collation result.

However, there was a mid-drama when the petitioners’ witness from Etsako West Local Government Area, Babah Idenobhe, told the court in his testimonies that there was over voting in three polling Units (units 021-023) in his local government area, but it was discovered that some of the documents the witness claimed to have relied on in arriving at his statement on oath were certified by INEC on January 8, 2025, while his statement on oath was deposed to October 10, 2024.

“One of the materials I took into consideration in my deposition is the original certified true copies of polling units results, photographed with the BIVAS machines,” he posited.

Also, Moses Agbukor, from Etsako East Local Government Area, who functioned in the exercise as Collation Agent for his party PDP in the LGA, in his testimonies claimed over voting and non prior recording of sensitive materials.

In their reactions, Kanu Agabi, SAN, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN and Emmanuel Ukala, 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.

The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, in his ruling, said the documents were provisionally admitted in evidence and then adjourned the sitting till today for continuation of hearing.