The Election Petition Tribunal handling the Edo State September 21, 2024 governorship election on Friday admitted documentary evidence presented to it by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and its candidate, Dr Asue Ighodalo as exhibits.
This was done as Ighodalo opened his case tendering of vital documents used in the election, in support of his petition.
Ighodalo alongside his Party, PDP in a petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024 are contesting the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo, winner of the election
The Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2024 Edo State Governorship Election, Dr Asue Ighodalo, has opened up his case with the tendering of vital documents used in the election, in support of his petition.
Ighodalo alongside his Party, PDP in a petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024 are contesting the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo, winner of the election
The lawyer cum financial expert claimed that the election was marred with widespread irregularities culminating in the electoral umpire declaring the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the poll.
Ighodalo averred that he won the highest number of valid votes cast and wondered why INEC would declare the Edo State Governor winner despite noncompliance with the provision of the Electoral Act, 2022 as amended.
At the resumption of the hearing on Friday, the Lead counsel to the Petitioners, Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, tendered from the bar Certified True Copy (CTC) of Form EC8E (INEC final declaration result sheet of the poll)
Kenneth Mozia, who conducted the petitioner’s presentations at the instance of Oyeyipo also tendered CTC of Form EC8D ( Summary of results from Local Government Areas Collation at the State Level.
Documents also tendered before the Tribunal by counsel to the petitioners are Certified True Copies of Form EC8Cs, covering the 18 Local Government Areas in the state.
Also, CTC of Forms EC8B (Wards Results Sheets) used for the conduct of the election in the 192 Wards in the state were also tendered by Mozia, all in support of the petitioner’s cases.
Further tendered were 320 copies of CTC Form EC8B, which contained unit results, as well as 308 copies of Certified True Copies Form EC25D containing INEC Polling Units Booklets.
Not done yet, Mozia also tendered 58 copies of INEC CTC Form EC8A (IReF)
However, lead counsel to INEC, Governor Monday Okpebholo and APC (1st to 3rd respondents), Kanu Agabi, SAN, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, and D.C. Denwigwe, SAN, who held the brief of Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, objected to the admissibility of the above documents.
The respondent’s counsel told the court that they would be abducing reasons for their objections to the petitioner’s CTC documents at the final address stage of the petition.
Justice Wilfred Kpochi led the Tribunal in response and provisionally admitted all the documents tendered in evidence and marked the same as exhibits.
“Learned counsel to the respondents shall state their reasons for their objections at the address stage”, Justice Kpochi held, before adjourning to Saturday, January 18 for the continuation of the hearing.
