Edo tribunal: INEC lists five witnesses over gov poll

The Independent National Electoral Commission is set to begin presenting its witnesses before the Edo State Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja today (Thursday).

At the tribunal’s resumed sitting on Wednesday, INEC’s counsel, Mr. Abdullahi Aliyu (SAN), informed the panel that the commission had lined up five witnesses to testify in defence of the declaration of Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the September 21, 2024, Edo State governorship election.

Aliyu requested an adjournment until Thursday (today) to allow the witnesses, most of whom were traveling from Benin, Edo State, to be present for their testimonies.

The tribunal had scheduled Wednesday for INEC to open its defence following the closure of the petitioners’ case on Monday.

The petitioners—the Peoples Democratic Party  and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo—are challenging Okpebholo’s victory, alleging electoral malpractices.

INEC declared that Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes to defeat Ighodalo, who garnered 247,655 votes.

However, the petitioners claimed that the election was marred by non-compliance with the Electoral Act, citing allegations of overvoting and the input of incorrect figures at collation centres.

The PDP and Ighodalo closed their case on Monday after calling several witnesses ans tendering documents.

Some of their witnesses testified that these irregularities led them to refuse to sign result sheets at their respective wards and polling units.

At Wednesday’s proceedings, INEC submitted key electoral documents as evidence before the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member tribunal.

These included the certified true copy of the Form EC8D result, a certified document containing the declaration of the election result, and a copy of its regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections.

Neither the petitioners nor the second and third respondents—Okpebholo and the APC—objected to the documents, which were subsequently admitted as Exhibits R-1, R-2, and R-3.

With INEC set to present its witnesses, the tribunal continues its hearing as the legal battle over the Edo governorship election unfolds.