The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, have closed their case at the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, following the testimony of 19 witnesses in a challenge to the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the gubernatorial elections held on September 21, 2024.
During the proceedings, lead counsel for the petitioners, Mr. Robert Emukpoeruo, SAN, informed the tribunal, presided over by Justice Wilfred Kpochi and a three-member panel, that they were satisfied with the evidence presented and therefore concluded their case.
The closure came on a day when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) produced five additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines that were utilized during the contested election.
Mr. Anthony Itodo, a Senior Technical Officer in INEC’s ICT Department, tendered the devices as evidence. While the Respondents objected to the admittance of these machines, they stated they would provide their reasons in their final written addresses. Earlier, the tribunal had admitted a total of 148 BVAS machines, corresponding to 133 polling units where election results are currently under dispute by the PDP.
In its formal petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, the PDP contends that Governor Okpebholo did not secure the highest number of lawful votes cast in the election. INEC had declared Okpebholo the victor with a total of 291,667 votes, surpassing Ighodalo’s total of 247,655 votes.
The tribunal has scheduled Wednesday for INEC to commence its defense, amidst the backdrop of heightened political scrutiny and public interest in the case’s unfolding. As both sides prepare for the next stages of the tribunal, the outcome remains a pivotal moment in Edo State’s political landscape.
