From Tony Osauzo, Benin
A mid-drama unfolded at the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, Wednesday, when one of the petitioners’ witnesses from Etsako West Local Government Area, Babah Idenobhe, told the court in his testimony that there was over-voting in three polling units (units 021-023) in his local government area.
At the continuation of the hearing of the petition filed by Dr. Asue Ighodalo and the PDP, it was 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 8th January 2025, while his statement on oath was deposed to on 10th October 2024.
“One of the materials I took into consideration in my deposition is the original certified true copies of polling units results, photographed with the BIVAS machines,” the witness said under examination by petitioners’ counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko, SAN.
Three witnesses from three Local Government Areas testified for the petitioners Wednesday, alleging widespread irregularities in the conduct of the poll in their local government areas.
Led in evidence by counsel to the petitioners, Abiodun Owonikoko, SAN, Destiny Oghayerio Enabulele said that in arriving at the averment in his witness statement on oath, he personally examined documents used in the election, which included, but were not limited to, certified true copies of INEC’s summary of the Wards collation results.
“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,” he told the Tribunal.
When asked by counsel to the respondents whether he participated in the making 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).
Similarly, Moses Agbukor from Etsako East Local Government Area, who was a Collation Agent for his party (PDP) in the local government, in his testimony, also claimed over-voting and non-prior recording of sensitive materials.
He 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 Kanu Agabi, SAN, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, and Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, who are counsel to INEC, Okpebholo, and the APC, objected to the admissibility of the tendered documents but reserved their grounds to the final written addresses.
The Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, in his ruling, said the documents were provisionally admitted in evidence and adjourned further hearing to today, Thursday, 22nd January 2025.