The 2024 Edo State Governorship Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Asue Ighodalo, along with the party on Saturday at the Election Petition Tribunal (EPT) in Benin tendered additional documentary evidence to support their petition.
Recall that Ighodalo and PDP who are contesting the conduct and outcome of the election had on Friday opened their case by tendering over one thousand documents before the court.
All the documents during Friday’s proceedings were provisionally admitted in evidence and marked as exhibits by the Tribunal despite objections from counsel to the respondents (INEC, Governor Monday Okpebholo and All Progressives Congress).
The respondents’ counsel reserved their reasons for their objections to the admissibility of the documents at the address stage.
At the closure of proceedings on Friday, the Tribunal headed by Justice Wilfred Kpochi adjourned sitting to Saturday, January 18, 2025 for continuation of hearing on the petition.
At the resumption of hearing on Saturday, some of the additional documents tendered from the Bar by counsel to the petitioners, Ken. Mozia, SAN, include 55 Certified True Copies (CTC) of polling Units Voters register used in the election
Mozia also tendered CTC of 56 accreditation figures of extracts from INEC’s Bimodal Voters Accreditation Systems Machines (BVAS).
The counsel further tendered 72 Certified True Copies of extracts of accreditation figures from the BVAS device.
Additionally, Mozia tendered 75 Certified True Copies of INEC’s Results Viewing (IREV) containing Form EC8A and 70 CTCs’ of INEC’s Polling Units Booklets, containing Form EC25B.
Also tendered were 66 copies of polling Units Voters Register and 125 copies of Form EC8A from IREV (all Certified True Copies)
The learned silk again tendered 125 copies of Form EC8A from IREV, directly certified by INEC, 101 copies of Form EC8A, CTC of Edo State BIVAS of Polling Unit by Polling Unit’s (PUs) Report as well as certificate of compliance by INEC.
In further support of the petitioners’ case, Learned Senior Counsel also tendered in court CTC of Certificate of compliance with BIVAS machines’ Report in respect of the 133 Polling Units earlier tendered as exhibit in the petition.
“My Lords, we wish to tender CTC of Copy of serial numbers BIVAS machines’ deployed to 133 Polling Units and Certificate of Compliance,” he prayed the court.
However, counsel to the trio respondents, Abdullahi Aliyu SAN, Offiong Offiong, SAN, and Chief Ferdinand Orbih, SAN, raised objections to admissibility of the documents.
They, however reserved their reasons for their objections to admissibility of the petitioners’ documents at address stage.
Particularly , while the counsel to the 1st Respondent (INEC), Aliyu, did not object to admission of certificate of compliance with with BIVAS machines used in 133 polling unites, counsel to the 2nd and 3rd respondents, Offiong and Orbih, objected and reserved their reasons.
Ighodalo and the PDP approached the tribunal, challenging INEC’s declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the September 21, 2024 guber election.
Ighodalo is urging the court to declare him the winner of the election, claiming that he scored the highest valid votes cast in the exercise.
Hearing on the petition continues on Monday, January 20, 2025
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
