The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2024 Edo State Governorship Election, Asue Ighodalo, has initiated his case at the election tribunal by presenting critical documents to support his petition against Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ighodalo, alongside his party, alleged that the election was marred by widespread irregularities. He contended that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) acted in noncompliance with the Electoral Act of 2022 (as amended) by declaring Okpebholo the winner.
Ighodalo maintains that he garnered the highest number of valid votes and questioned the credibility of the results announced by INEC.
During the tribunal session on Friday, Ighodalo’s lead counsel, Adetunji Oyeyipo (SAN), submitted several Certified True Copies (CTCs) of key documents as evidence.
These included Form EC8E, which is INEC’s final result declaration sheet, and Form EC8D, summarizing the results from all Local Government Area collation centers in the state.
Additional documents submitted by the petitioners included Forms EC8C, EC8B, and EC8A, which detail results from the state’s 18 Local Government Areas, 192 wards, and individual polling units, respectively.
The petitioners also tendered Certified True Copies of INEC’s Polling Units Booklets containing Form EC25D and more results sheets obtained through the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IREV).
Lawyers representing INEC, Governor Okpebholo, and the APC—Kanu Agabi (SAN), Onyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN), and D.C. Denwigwe (SAN)—objected to the admissibility of the documents. They informed the tribunal that their arguments against the evidence would be outlined during the final address stage.
Despite the objections, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, who presided over the session, admitted the documents provisionally as exhibits. He stated, “Learned counsel to the respondents shall state their reasons for their objections at the address stage.”
The tribunal is set to resume on Saturday, with Ighodalo and the PDP expected to present additional evidence to strengthen their case. Their petition, marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, challenges INEC’s declaration of Okpebholo as the winner of the governorship election.
