The Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State, Chief Anthony Aziegbemin, has said they were confident of securing victory at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
This is just as the tribunal sitting in Abuja adjourned further proceedings in the petition PDP and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, filed to challenge the outcome of the gubernatorial poll that held in the state on September 21, 2024, till tomorrow, reports Vanguard.
The Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member panel adjourned for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which is the 1st defendant in the matter, to defend the result it announced in favour of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The electoral body’s legal team, comprising of five Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, is led by a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi.
Meanwhile, Aziegbemin expressed satisfaction with the evidence of 19 witnesses that testified and tendered evidence for the petitioners.
He said the party decided to only call relevant witnesses that would establish their allegation that irregularities occurred during collation of result of the election by INEC.
“We are confident of victory because we have presented our witnesses to speak to our case which is principally about the fact that elections held at the 4,519 polling units in Edo State.
“At the unit level, we do not have issues except for a few places. Where the issues started manifesting with the connivance of INEC, was at the ward level.
“We believe that the case is pretty straightforward and we believe that it is documentary based.
“We called the witnesses that we needed to prove our case,” the PDP Chairman told newsmen.
Noting that INEC was compelled to produce before the tribunal, a total of 153 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVA, machines that were used in 133 polling units where results of the election are disputed, Chief Aziegbemin, said the party found it strange that the Commission objected to the admissibility of the devices in evidence.
According to him, the essence of the exhibit was to establish the case of over-voting during the election.
Wondering why INEC would oppose documents it also certified, the PDP Chairman, said: “You conducted an election and certified documents for the petitioners, yet, when the petitioners wanted to tender the same documents you said you are objecting to it and will give reasons later, is that not strange?
“I can understand Okpebholo and the APC objecting, but for INEC to object to its own documents being tendered in court, I think it is strange.”
It will be recalled that INEC had declared that Okpebholo of the APC secured a total of 291, 667 votes to defeat his closet rivalry, Ighodalo of the PDP, who got a total of 247, 655 votes.
However, in the petition marked: EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, the petitioners insisted that governor Okpebholo of the APC did not secure the highest number of lawful votes that were cast at the election.
The petitioners, who are urging the tribunal to invalidate the Certificate of Return that was issued to the APC candidate by INEC, equally contended that the election was not conducted in compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act.
