The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has postponed its proceedings to Monday, February 10, allowing Governor Monday Okphebholo of Edo State to commence his case....CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING.>>
The decision came after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to present its witnesses as initially scheduled for Thursday, February 6.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The lead counsel for INEC, Kanu Agabi, SAN, informed the three-member panel, chaired by Justice Wilfred Okpochi, that they would not be calling any witnesses after reconsidering their position following Wednesday’s proceedings. He stated that there would be no necessity to summon witnesses.
There was drama earlier at the Edo 2024 Governorship Election Tribunal as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to call any witnesses to defend itself against allegations that it colluded with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to manipulate the election in favour of Governor Monday Okpebholo.
INEC’s legal team formally moved to close its case without presenting any witnesses, a motion accepted by the Tribunal.
This unexpected decision leaves INEC relying solely on cross-examinations and legal arguments from APC and Governor Okpebholo’s defence teams.
PDP’s Case: Allegations Of Irregularities And Rigging
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had launched a fierce legal challenge, accusing INEC of orchestrating widespread electoral fraud to ensure Okpebholo’s victory.
Leveraging the 2022 Electoral Act, PDP’s legal team has prioritized documentary evidence over oral testimony, focusing on key provisions:
– Section 137 of the Electoral Act prioritizes documentary evidence over oral testimony, reinforcing PDP’s strategy.
– Section 73(2) mandates the nullification of results in polling units where ballot paper and BVAS serial numbers were not pre-recorded.
– BVAS Data Admitted as Evidence
The Tribunal has already admitted critical BVAS machines as evidence, devices that the PDP argues will expose over-voting and discrepancies in the declared results.
Multiple PDP witnesses, including local government election agents and expert witness PW12, provided testimony detailing how results were allegedly manipulated at the collation stage.
