The election petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, continues at the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, with witnesses testifying to alleged irregularities in the September 21, 2024, election. The witnesses’ testimonies focus on discrepancies in election results from three local government areas.
Kennedy Osifo, a PDP Local Government Collation Officer in Ikpoba-Okha, presented agents’ copies of election results for 76 polling units in Ward II. He highlighted four irregularities when comparing these copies with the BVAS accreditation reports from INEC’s IREV portal. Osifo claims that INEC announced incorrect results based on inaccurate data. He confirmed his testimony was based on the documents presented and not on communication with the agents.
Another witness, Adebayo Ogedegbe, the PDP Collation Officer for Akoko-Edo, identified irregularities in 45 units. He argued that in 41 of these units, INEC’s scores contradicted the certified true copies, while in four others, there was alleged over-voting. Ogedegbe tendered agents’ copies of results from these units as evidence.
In the case of Owan West Local Government Area, Lucky Aroye, a PDP representative, testified to over-voting in nine units and claimed the absence of prior recordings of sensitive materials in seven units. He urged the tribunal to adopt his statement on oath.
The defense counsels from INEC, APC, and Okpebholo objected to the admissibility of the tendered documents but reserved their objections for final written addresses. Tribunal Chairman, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, provisionally admitted the documents into evidence and adjourned further hearings.