The witnesses of the Individuals’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday gave testimonies on how irregularities allegedly marred the September 21, 2024, Edo State Governorship election in three Native Authorities Areas of the state.
New Telegraph recollects that the PDP and its candidate within the election, Dr Asue Ighodalo are difficult the INEC’s declaration of the Gov. Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) because the winner.
Being led in proof by Abiodun Owonikoko, PDP counsel within the case, one of many witnesses Kennedy Osifo tendered brokers’ copies of the election outcomes for 76 polling models in Ward II of Ikpoba Okha native authorities space of the state, the place he alleged 4 electoral irregularities.
Based on him, the irregularities have been noticed when the brokers’ copies have been examined alongside the licensed true copies of the outcomes of the BVAS accreditation report obtained from the INEC’s IREV portal.
He mentioned the discrepancies had been highlighted in his witness assertion on oath, which he urged the tribunal to undertake in proof within the case.
Osifo, who mentioned he was the PDP native authorities collation officer within the ballot, alleged that the INEC relied on incorrect scores to announce the ultimate results of the election.
When cross-examined, Osifo mentioned his testimonies have been based mostly strictly on the 2 paperwork and never on contacts with the brokers.
On his half, Adebayo Ogedegbe alleged circumstances of irregularities in 45 models throughout Akoko-Edo Native Authorities Space of the state.
In 41 of those models, Ogedegbe, who claimed to be the celebration collation officer for the native authorities, testified that the INEC computed incorrect scores that negated the data within the licensed true copies.
The witness alleged overvoting within the 4 different models, in search of to tender the brokers’ copies of the outcomes of those models in proof to corroborate his claims.
For Owan West Native Authorities Space, Fortunate Aroye, tendered brokers’ copies of leads to 9 models the place he additionally alleged overvoting.
Aroye mentioned there have been no prior recordings of delicate supplies in seven models of the native authorities space, urging the INEC to undertake his assertion on oath as proof within the case.
When requested if the witness was in a position to go to all of the models within the native authorities because the collation officer, he mentioned there was no method he might have achieved that, contemplating their quantity
In the meantime, Kalu Agabi, SAN, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN and Ukala, SAN, who’re counsels to the INEC, Okpebholo and the APC respectively objected the admissibility of the tendered paperwork however reserved their grounds to the ultimate written addresses.
Justice Wilfred Kpochi, the Chairman of the tribunal in his ruling, mentioned the paperwork have been provisionally admitted in proof.
Kpochi adjourned the sitting till Wednesday for the continuation of the listening to.
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