The All Progressives Congress (APC) has officially closed its defense in the legal battle over the September 21, 2024, Edo State governorship election. The move came unexpectedly on Thursday, just a day after the party presented four witnesses before the tribunal.
The APC, which is the third respondent in the case filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, had initially planned to call 28 witnesses to defend its victory. However, after presenting only four, the party decided to conclude its case.
The tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, had adjourned proceedings on Wednesday to allow the APC to submit certain documents. These documents were meant to support the testimonies of the remaining witnesses the party intended to call. But on Thursday, when the hearing resumed, APC’s legal counsel, Chief Ferdinand Orbih (SAN), informed the tribunal that the expected documents from Benin City had not yet arrived.
Despite this, Orbih announced that the APC would not be calling additional witnesses. He noted that the documents already submitted, along with evidence from the petitioners and cross-examinations, had sufficiently supported the party’s case.
“Taking all the enumerated factors into consideration, we are happy at this stage to close the 3rd respondent’s case, with the leave of my Lordships,” Orbih stated.
With no objections from the petitioners, Justice Kpochi granted the request and scheduled March 3 for all parties to present their final written arguments. The tribunal directed the respondents to submit their defense within seven days, while the petitioners were given five days to respond. Additionally, the respondents were allowed three days to address any legal points raised in the petitioners’ reply.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared APC’s candidate, Monday Okpebholo, the winner of the Edo governorship election after he secured 291,667 votes. His closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the PDP, received 247,655 votes.
Dissatisfied with the results, the PDP and Ighodalo challenged the outcome at the tribunal, requesting that Okpebholo’s victory be overturned. They argued that the election was marred by irregularities, including non-compliance with the Electoral Act. They also claimed that Okpebholo did not secure the highest number of lawful votes.
To support their claims, the petitioners called 19 witnesses, who testified that over-voting and incorrect vote computation occurred in more than 700 polling units across the state.
Meanwhile, INEC, the first respondent in the case, did not call any witnesses but submitted 153 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices used in 133 polling units where results were being contested. Governor Okpebholo, the second respondent, presented only one witness, while the APC stopped at four before concluding its defense.
