The Folks’s Democratic Social gathering (PDP) witnesses on Tuesday testified about how irregularities allegedly marred the Sept. 21, 2024, Edo governorship election in three native authorities areas of the state.
The PDP and its candidate within the election, Dr Asue Ighodalo are difficult the INEC’s declaration of the Gov. Monday Okpebholo of APC because the winner.
Being led in proof by Abiodun Owonikoko, PDP counsel within the case, one of many witnesses, Kennedy Osifo, tendered brokers’ copies of the election outcomes for 76 polling items in Ward II of Ikpoba Okha native authorities space of the state, the place he alleged 4 electoral irregularities.
In accordance with him, the irregularities had been noticed when the brokers’ copies had been examined alongside the licensed true copies of the BVAS accreditation report outcomes obtained from INEC’s IREV portal.
He stated the discrepancies had been highlighted in his witness assertion on oath, which he urged the tribunal to undertake in proof within the case.
Osifo, who stated he was the PDP native authorities collation officer within the ballot, alleged that the INEC relied on incorrect scores to announce the ultimate results of the election.
When cross-examined, Osifo stated his testimonies had been primarily based strictly on the 2 paperwork and never on contacts with the brokers.
Adebayo Ogedegbe, for his half, alleged irregularities in 45 items throughout the Akoko-Edo Native Authorities Space of the state.
In 41 of those items, Ogedegbe, who claimed to be the occasion collation officer for the native authorities, testified that the INEC computed incorrect scores that negated the data within the licensed true copies.
The witness alleged overvoting within the 4 different items, in search of to tender the brokers’ copies of the outcomes of those items in proof to corroborate his claims.
For Owan West Native Authorities Space, Fortunate Aroye tendered brokers’ copies of leads to 9 items, the place he additionally alleged overvoting.
Aroye stated there have been no prior recordings of delicate supplies in seven items of the native authorities space and urged the INEC to undertake his assertion on oath as proof within the case.
When requested if the witness was in a position to go to all of the items within the native authorities because the collation officer, he stated there was no method he might have completed that, contemplating their quantity
In the meantime, 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 paperwork however reserved their grounds for the ultimate written addresses.
In his ruling, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, the Chairman of the tribunal, stated the paperwork had been provisionally admitted in proof.
Kpochi adjourned the sitting till Wednesday for the continuation of the listening to.
