Witnesses of the Individuals’s Democratic Occasion, PDP, on Tuesday gave testiminies on how irregularities allegedly marred the Sept. 21, 2024 Edo governorship election in three Native Governments, LGs, of the state.
The PDP and its candidate within the election, Dr Asue Ighodalo, are difficult the declaration by the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee, INEC, of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as winner.
Being led in proof by Abiodun Owonikoko, PDP counsel within the petition, one of many witnesses, Kennedy Osifo, tendered brokers’ copies of the election outcomes for 76 polling models.
The poling models are in Ward II of Ikpoba Okha native authorities space of the state, the place he alleged 4 electoral irregularities.
In keeping with him, the irregularities have been noticed when the brokers’ copies have been examined alongside the licensed true copies of the outcomes of BVAS accreditation report obtained from the INEC’s IREV portal.
He stated that the discrepancies had been highlighted in his witness assertion on oath, which he urged the tribunal to undertake in proof within the case.
Mr Osifo, who stated that 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, Mr Osifo stated that his testimonies have been based mostly strictly on the 2 paperwork and never on contacts with the brokers.
On his half, Adebayo Ogedegbe alleged instances of irregularities in 45 models throughout Akoko-Edo LG of the state.
Mr Ogedegbe, who was the social gathering collation officer for the native authorities, testified that INEC computed incorrect scores that negated the data within the licensed true copies in 41 of those models .
The witness alleged overvoting within the 4 different models, searching for to tender the brokers’ copies of outcomes of those models in proof to corroborate his claims.
For Owan West LG, Fortunate Aroye, tendered brokers’ copies of leads to 9 models the place he additionally alleged overvoting.
Mr Aroye stated that there have been no prior recordings of delicate supplies in seven models of the LG, urging 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 models within the native authorities because the collation officer, he stated there was no means he may have executed that, contemplating the quantity.
In the meantime, messers Kalu Agabi, Onyechi Ikpeazu, and Ukala, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), counsels to INEC, Okpebholo and the APC, objected the admissibility of the tendered paperwork.
The legal professionals, nevertheless, reserved their grounds to the ultimate written addresses.
Justice Wilfred Kpochi, the Chairman of the tribunal, l in his ruling, stated that the paperwork have been provisionally admitted in proof.
Mr Kpochi adjourned the sitting till Wednesday for continuation of listening to.
NAN
