The Edo Gubernatorial Election Petition Tribunal on Tuesday in Abuja, berated the Peoples Democratic Social gathering, PDP, and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, over their failure to supply witnesses in court docket.
PDP and Asue have been to supply witnesses to testify within the petition they filed searching for the nullification of the governorship election which happened within the state on Sept. 21, 2024.
The tribunal had its first sitting in Abuja following it’s relocation to the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday.
An announcement issued by the Secretary of the Tribunal, Mr Mu’azu Bagudu introduced the tribunal ‘s relocation to Abuja
Though no purpose was expressly said for the transfer, nonetheless, political consultants opined that the transfer might not be removed from the rising problem of insecurity and purported fears of plots to burn down the constructing housing the tribunal.
Listed as respondents within the swimsuit are the All Progressives Congress, APC, Governor Monday Okpebholo and the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee, INEC.
On the resumed sitting within the matter, counsel to the PDP and Ighodalo, Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, known as their witness, Oseyili Anenih for cross-examination.
NAN additionally recollects that Anenih had given his evidence-in-chief as PW-12 whereas the tribunal was sitting in Benin.
After Anenih was cross examined by all of the respondents and was discharged, the senior lawyer informed the tribunal that the majority of their different witnesses had suffered journey disruptions.
“My lords, that is the explanation we’re unable to current them at the moment. We urge your Lordships to present us one other date.
“We undertake that on the subsequent date, we are going to convey as many witnesses as could also be handy for the tribunal.
“We may also work assiduously to prime down our witnesses,”Oyeyipo prayed the tribunal.”
Miffed by the event, the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member tribunal berated the petitioners for losing the judicial time of the tribunal.
Kpochi stated that the tribunal had earlier requested different events that additionally lodged petitions difficult the end result of the governorship election to take new dates in order that Tuesday may very well be devoted to listening to the PDP’s petition.
“What you might be simply telling us will not be good in any respect! Why then did we ask the opposite petitioners to take dates? We should always have heard them at the moment.
“Actually, name these your witnesses, inform them to return, we’re prepared for them to return at the moment,” Justice Kpochi stated.
The counsel, nonetheless, pleaded that the witnesses might not be in the fitting mind set to mount the dock after their journey experiences.
The tribunal subsequently adjourned the matter untill Thursday.
Earlier, Anenih informed the tribunal that although there have been a complete of 4,519 polling models in Edo , the PDP and its candidate have been difficult the outcomes of 765 polling models.
Anenih, who informed the tribunal that he served because the Director of Analysis and Technique for the PDP, in the course of the election admitted that he didn’t go to all of the polling models in the course of the election.
He informed the tribunal that a lot of the outcomes given to native authorities collation brokers didn’t attain the state collation brokers however ended up within the PDP scenario room as a result of the brokers have been prevented from transmitting them to the state collation centres.
The witness maintained that if the lawful votes that have been solid on the election day have been sincerely collated, his candidate, Ighodalo, would have emerged victorious having polled the very best variety of legitimate votes.
Answering questions from Mr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, counsel to Gov. Okpebholo, the witness admitted that they didn’t have any bodily entry to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, Machines, that have been used for the election.
He, nonetheless stated that they have been capable of get some screenshots of it, which they tendered in proof.
He stated that they had since subpoenaed INEC to make the machines obtainable earlier than the tribunal.
Whereas being cross-examined by counsel to the APC, Mr Emmanuel Ukala, the witness confirmed that he was not educated by INEC to play any position in the course of the election.
He additional admitted that not one of the polling unit outcomes was handed over to him personally by brokers of the celebration.
When he was handed one of many Displays to have a look at, the witness confirmed to the tribunal that out of 16 copies of the leads to the bundle, solely three of them have been stamped.
“To us, that three that have been stamped is critical sufficient. It represents nearly 20 per cent ,” the witness insisted.
NAN recollects that the PDP and its candidate had approached the tribunal praying it to nullify the end result of the governorship election.
They based mostly their petition on the grounds of alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act and different malpractices.
They insisted that Gov. Okpebholo of the APC didn’t safe the very best variety of majority of the legitimate votes solid on the election to be declared winner.NAN
