Ighodalo, PDP Opens Case Against Okpehbolo At Edo Election Tribunal
The Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate for the 2024 Edo State governorship election, Asue Ighodalo, on Friday, opened his case at the election petition tribunal, presenting vital documents used during the election to back their allegations of rigging.
Ighodalo told the tribunal that the election was plagued by widespread irregularities that led the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpehbolo, the winner of the poll.
He pointed out that he had secured the highest valid votes cast in the election, questioning why INEC declared Okpehbolo the winner despite the alleged noncompliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, as amended.
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At the tribunal’s resumption, the petitioners’ lead counsel, Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, presented a Certified True Copy (CTC) of Form EC8E (INEC’s final declaration result sheet) to support the petitioners’ case.
Kenneth Mozia, SAN, who represented Oyeyipo, conducted the presentation and also submitted a CTC of Form EC8D (summary of results from local government areas collation).
Other documents submitted before the tribunal by the petitioners’ counsel included CTCs of Form EC8Cs from the 18 local government areas in the state, Form EC8B (wards results sheets) for the 192 wards, and 320 CTC Form EC8A documents (polling units results sheets).
Also submitted were CTCs of INEC’s polling unit booklets, containing Form EC25D, and CTCs of Form EC8A (IREV).
The lead counsel for INEC, Okpehbolo, and the APC (the 1st to 3rd respondents), Kanu Agabi, SAN, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, and D.C. Denwigwe, SAN, who represented Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, objected to the admissibility of the documents.
They stated, “they would adduce reasons for their objections to the petitioners’ CTC documents at the final address stage of the petition.”
In response, Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led tribunal provisionally admitted all the documents as evidence, marking them as exhibits.
Justice Kpochi held, “Learned counsel to the respondents shall state their reasons for their objections at the address stage.”
The hearing will continue on Saturday (today), with the petitioners expected to submit more documents supporting their petitions.
In petition EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, Ighodalo and the PDP are challenging INEC’s declaration of Governor Okpehbolo as the winner of the election.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
