By Wandoo Sombo
Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo opened and closed his case at the Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal yesterday in Abuja, calling only one witness.
At the resumed hearing, Mr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, lead counsel to Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), told the tribunal that his client’s business of the day was to open his case.
Ikpeazu prayed that Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led’s three-member tribunal would allow him to call his only witness.
The witness, Mr Usman Majek, told the tribunal that he was a polling unit agent of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo.
Under cross-examination, the witness agreed that there was overvoting in his polling unit.
He also affirmed that accreditation and voting took place simultaneously in his unit.
Majek told the tribunal that he complained to the Police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about the result he entered on the result sheet after he signed it.
After Majek’s testimony, Ikpeazu applied to close the defence of his client. The tribunal granted the application, especially since there was no objection from the other counsel.
The tribunal adjourned proceedings until February 12 for the APC to open its case.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Mr Asue Ighodalo, had approached the tribunal, praying it would invalidate the outcome of the governorship election.
The petitioners sought to invalidate the governorship election for alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.
They further contended that Okpebholo did not secure the highest majority votes in that election.
•Idahosa faults PDP’s over-voting claims at tribunal
Edo State Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa has dismissed the petition on alleged over-voting in the recent governorship election.
Speaking after yesterday’s tribunal session in Abuja, Idahosa criticised the PDP for filing petitions without verifying facts. He stated that results from areas affected by over-voting had already been cancelled, making the opposition’s claims baseless.
“In Unit 4, Ward 7, Usen, the results were cancelled due to over-voting, as the law requires. Yet, PDP petitioned against these results without knowing they were never included in the final tally,” he explained.
He pointed out that the APC witness confirmed in court that cancelled results were not computed. “Why would PDP challenge results that do not exist? It shows they do not understand the process,” Idahosa said.
According to him, the Electoral Act 2020 (as amended) clearly states that over-voting leads to automatic result cancellation, eliminating the need for further disputes.
“The onus is on PDP to prove their case, but their witnesses have contradicted themselves in court. Our legal team may not even need to call any witness,” he added.
Idahosa accused the PDP of treating the tribunal like a media campaign rather than focusing on legal facts. He maintained that the party’s claim lacks merit and expressed confidence in the judiciary’s ability to uphold the law.
