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PDP governorship candidate in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo
The Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate for the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State, Dr Asue Ighodalo, on Wednesday, fielded three more witnesses in their ongoing legal attempt to nullify the emergence of Governor Monday Okpebholo as the legitimate winner of the poll.
The petitioners had on Tuesday opened their case, calling three witnesses drawn from Ikpoba-Okha, Akoko-Edo, and Owan West Local Government Areas. The witnesses alleged irregularities or malpractices in the poll.
Furthering their case on Wednesday before the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-man tribunal, the PDP and Ighodalo fielded three additional witnesses, who equally claimed that the poll was marred by widespread irregularities.
Led in evidence by the petitioners’ counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), one of the witnesses, Destiny Enabulele, said his witness statement on oath was informed by evidence of irregularities witnessed during the poll and from election documents he examined.
“These are documents I personally examined carefully to arrive at my witness statement on oath. There was no prior recording of sensitive materials deployed by INEC to 19 polling units in Ovia South West Local Government Area,” Enabulele stated.
When asked by counsel to the respondents whether he participated in the makings of the documents he used to arrive at his statement on oath, Enabulele said that he only participated in the making of Form EC8C (Ward Collation result).
However, there was a mid-drama when the petitioners’ witness from Etsako West Local Government Area, Babah Idenobhe, told the court in his testimonies that there was over-voting in three polling Units ( units 021-023) in his local government area.
It was, however, discovered that some of the documents the witness claimed to have relied on in arriving at his statement on oath were certified by INEC on January 8th, 2025, while his statement on oath was deposed to on October 10, 2024.
Also, Moses Agbukor, from Etsako East Local Government Area, who functioned in the exercise as a PDP Collation Agent in the LGA, claimed over-voting.
The witness had earlier prayed the court to admit his party’s Ward Collation Agent Tag, as well as his witness statement on oath as evidence for the petitioners.
But counsel for INEC, Kalu Agabi (SAN), counsel for Okpebholo, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN); and counsel for the APC, Ukala (SAN), objected to the admissibility of the tendered documents.
The tribunal chairman, Justice Kpochi, in his ruling, said the documents were provisionally admitted in evidence.
He then adjourned till today (Thursday) for the continuation of hearing.
