Edo Election Tribunal: Asue Ighodalo, PDP Open Petitions Against Gov Okpebholo

…’I won Edo Election by Majority Votes’, Ighodalo Tells Tribunal

…Tendered over one thousand Documentary Evidence in support of claim

By Simeon OSAJIE

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in the contentious Edo State governorship election of September 21, 2024, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, on Friday 17th January, presented to the state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin, documentary evidence to prove that they won the election with majority votes which the tribunal admitted as exhibits.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Governor Monday Okpebholo however reserved their objections to the admissibility of the documents till the final address stage. 

Tendering vital documents in support of his petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024 when he opened his case, Ighodalo claimed that the election was marred by widespread irregularities culminating in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaring the candidate of the APC winner.

Ighodalo, a lawyer and boardroom guru, averred that he won the highest valid votes cast and wondered why INEC would declare Okpebholo winner despite non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 as amended.

Their lead counsel, Adetunji Oyeyipo, senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN, tendered from the bar certified true copy (CTC) of Form EC8E (INEC’s final declaration result sheet of the poll). Kenneth Mozia, SAN, who conducted the petitioners’ presentations at the instance of Oyeyipo, also tendered CTC of Form EC8D (Summary of results from Local Government Areas Collation at the state level).

Other documents tendered before the Tribunal were: CTCs of Form EC8Cs, covering the 18 Local Government Areas in the state, CTCs of Forms EC8B (Wards Results Sheets) used for the conduct of the election in the 192 Wards in the state, 320 copies of CTCs of Form EC8B, which contained unit results, 308 copies of CTCs of Form EC25D containing INEC Polling units booklets, as well as 58 copies of CTCs of Form EC8A (IReV).

However, lead counsel to INEC, Governor Okpebholo, and the APC (1st to 3rd respondents), Kanu Agabi, SAN, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, and D.C. Denwigwe, SAN, who held the brief of Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, objected to the admissibility of the documents. The respondents’ counsel told the court that they would be adducing reasons for their objections at the final address stage of the petition.

The Tribunal, in response, provisionally admitted all the documents tendered in evidence and marked same as exhibits.

Justice Kpochi, before adjourning to Saturday January 18, said, “Learned counsel to the respondents shall state their reasons for their objections at the address stage”.