PDP Witnesses Testify In Court, Claim Irregularities In Polls

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) witnesses on Tuesday testified about how irregularities allegedly marred the Sept. 21, 2024, Edo governorship election in three local government areas of the state.

The PDP and its candidate in the election, Dr Asue Ighodalo are challenging the INEC’s declaration of the Gov. Monday Okpebholo of APC as the winner.

Being led in evidence by Abiodun Owonikoko, PDP counsel in the case, 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.

According to him, the irregularities were observed when the agents’ copies were examined alongside the certified true copies of the BVAS accreditation report results obtained from INEC’s IREV portal.

He said the discrepancies had been highlighted in his witness statement on oath, which he urged the tribunal to adopt in evidence in the case.

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 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.

Adebayo Ogedegbe, for his part, alleged irregularities in 45 units across the Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state.

In 41 of these units, Ogedegbe, who 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.

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 9 units, where he also alleged overvoting.

Aroye said there were no prior recordings of sensitive materials in seven units of the local government area and urged the INEC to adopt his statement on oath as evidence in the case.

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 their number

Meanwhile, Kalu Agabi, SAN, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, and Ukala, SAN, counsels to the INEC, Okpebholo, and the APC, respectively, objected to the admissibility of the tendered documents but reserved their grounds for the final written addresses.

In his ruling, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, the Chairman of the tribunal, said the documents were provisionally admitted in evidence.

Kpochi adjourned the sitting until Wednesday for the continuation of the hearing.