Edo guber: PDP, Ighodalo close case

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo on Monday, closed their case before the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, where they are challenging the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 2024 Edo state governorship election.

At the commencement of proceedings, lead counsel to the petitioners, Ken Mozia, SAN, informed the Tribunal that, in response to their application asking the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to produce the Bimodal Verification Accreditation System (BVAS) machines used in 133 polling units during the election as contained in their schedule, 148 were produced last week as INEC failed to produce BIVAS machines for five polling units indicated in the schedule.

He noted; “The 148 produced have been tendered and accepted into the records of the court. The 1st respondent (INEC) has brought the remaining five BIVAS machines and they want the five BIVAS machines presented by a Senior Technical Officer in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) Department of INEC, Anthony Itodo, to be tendered before the Tribunal.”

All the counsel to the three respondents objected to the tendering of the BIVAS machines and said they would give their reasons in their final addresses.

The chairman of the three-member Tribunal, Wilfred Kpochi, admitted the BIVAS machines and said the Tribunal awaits the reasons for your objection by the respondents.

Following the development, Counsel to the Petitioners, Mozia, SAN, announced that the petitioners are closing their case and await the witness list of the respondents for subsequent proceedings.

In his response, counsel for INEC, Kanu Agabi, SAN, urged the Tribunal to kindly grant them some time to react to the petitioners’ decision to close their case, which he said, took the respondents by surprise.

He prayed for time to enable the respondents to put together their witness list and prepare them for their case.

Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, lead Counsel for Governor Monday Okpebholo also asked for time to put together their witness list, promising to make it very easy for everyone.

The petitioners did not object to the request for time and the Tribunal adjourned proceedings in the petition till February 5, 2025.

Ighodalo and his party are challenging the declaration of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday Okpebholo as governor over alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

They alleged that Okpebholo did not secure the highest number of majority votes cast at the election as required by law as well as l over-voting.

The petitioners called a total of 19 witnesses and tendered several documents in their legal battle seeking the nullification of Okpebholo’s election as Edo state governor.