The Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate in the September 21, 2024, Edo State governorship election, Asue Ighodalo, on Tuesday presented witnesses before the election tribunal to challenge the victory of the All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Led in evidence by PDP counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), a key witness, Kennedy Osifo, submitted agents’ copies of election results from 76 polling units in Ward II, Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area. He alleged four specific electoral irregularities. Osifo testified that discrepancies were identified when agents’ copies were compared with certified true copies of the BVAS accreditation report obtained from INEC’s IREV portal. These discrepancies, he claimed, were documented in his witness statement on oath, which he urged the tribunal to accept as evidence.
Osifo, who served as the PDP collation officer for Ikpoba Okha, alleged that INEC relied on incorrect figures to declare the election results. During cross-examination, he admitted his claims were based solely on the documents he examined and not on interactions with polling agents.
Another witness, Adebayo Ogedegbe, PDP’s collation officer for Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, testified about irregularities in 45 polling units. He alleged that INEC computed incorrect scores that conflicted with the certified true copies of results.
In Owan West Local Government Area, Lucky Aroye presented agents’ copies of results from nine units, alleging cases of overvoting. He also claimed that sensitive materials were not properly recorded in seven units and urged the tribunal to accept his witness statement as evidence.
Counsel for INEC, Senator Okpebholo, and the APC, represented by Kalu Agabi (SAN), Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), and Ijala (SAN), respectively, objected to the admissibility of the documents but reserved their arguments for their final written addresses.
Tribunal Chairman Justice Wilfred Kpochi provisionally admitted the documents as evidence, pending further review.
During cross-examination, Osifo admitted that he was neither a polling unit nor ward agent but operated from a “situation room,” where he observed and reviewed results. Similarly, Ogedegbe, the PDP witness for Akoko-Edo, stated that he was not directly involved at the polling unit level but coordinated results from 241 polling units across 10 wards in one day. He also acknowledged that sensitive BVAS materials were unavailable for inspection in the situation room.
The tribunal adjourned proceedings until today for the continuation of the hearing.