The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate for the 2024 Edo State governorship election, Asue Ighodalo, opened their case at the election petition tribunal on Friday, presenting key documents to back their claims of electoral malpractice.
Ighodalo accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of declaring All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpehbolo, as the winner despite alleged irregularities and noncompliance with the Electoral Act, 2022.
During the hearing, lead counsel for the petitioners, Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, submitted Certified True Copies (CTCs) of essential electoral documents, including the Form EC8E (INEC’s final declaration result sheet), Form EC8D (local government area results), and numerous CTCs from various electoral forms used during the election across the state’s wards and polling units.
Counsel for INEC, Okpehbolo, and the APC raised objections regarding the admissibility of the documents, promising to present their reasons for these objections during the final address phase.
However, Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led Tribunal provisionally admitted the documents as exhibits.
The hearing is set to continue, with the petitioners expected to submit additional evidence in support of their claims.
