The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, witnessed a major development today as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, formally closed their case after presenting 19 witnesses to challenge the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The PDP and Ighodalo are contesting INEC’s declaration that Okpebholo won the September 21, 2024 gubernatorial election with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who secured 247,655 votes. Their legal team, led by Robert Emukpoeruo (SAN), concluded their arguments after submitting key evidence, including Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) reports from disputed polling units.
During today’s hearing, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented an additional five BVAS machines, which were tendered as evidence by INEC’s Senior Technical Officer, Anthony Itodo. These were admitted as evidence, despite objections from the respondents, who stated that they would challenge their relevance in their final written addresses. Earlier, the tribunal had also admitted 148 BVAS machines linked to 133 contested polling units where the PDP alleges irregularities.
With the petitioners closing their case, the tribunal has now set Wednesday as the date for INEC to open its defense. The electoral body is expected to justify its decision to declare Okpebholo as the rightful winner and counter the PDP’s claims of election malpractice.
As the legal battle intensifies, political observers are keenly watching how the INEC, APC, and Okpebholo’s defense team will respond. With the tribunal moving into the next phase, the final ruling could have significant implications for Edo State’s political landscape.
