The Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, resumed its proceedings on January 22, 2025, with a witness from the Ovia South West Local Government Area (LGA) providing testimony regarding over-voting that allegedly benefited the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the September 21, 2024, Edo State Governorship Election.
The witness, a Collation Agent for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ovia South West, presented evidence that in seven polling units in the LGA, the number of votes cast surpassed the number of accredited voters.
The affected polling units were PUs 014, 007, 004, 006, 016, 028, and 034. Notably, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, the APC candidate’s running mate and now Deputy Governor, is from Ovia South West.
In his testimony at the hearing of petition EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, the PDP Collation Agent stated that despite clear evidence of over-voting in these polling units, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to annul the results.
The witness also confirmed that PDP agents had raised objections to the over-voting, but their protests were disregarded by INEC’s presiding officers.
The witness supported his claims with various documents, including the BVAS accreditation report, certified true copies (CTC) of Result Sheets Form EC8A-C, CTCs from the IREV, and BVAS extracts from INEC.
Counsels for the first respondent, INEC (Kanu Agabi, SAN), and the second respondent (Okpebholo, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN), had raised objections to the admission of the witness’s statement on oath, but the tribunal overruled the objections and accepted the evidence.
The hearing continues as the PDP presents more witnesses.
