Sen. Adams Oshiomhole, on Friday, refrained from making comments on the ongoing hearing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s petition at the Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
Oshiomhole, who represents the Edo North Senatorial District, refused to comment on his observation of the proceedings while fielding questions from newsmen.
“You know you don’t comment on matters in court. I came to watch, to observe the proceedings and I am satisfied that the proceedings are going well.
“It is not for me to do any evaluation that is the prerogative and absolute responsibility of the tribunal.
“Well, I cannot comment on it,” he simply responded.
NAN reports that the hearing of the petition filed by the PDP and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, continued with the presentation of their 16th witness.
The witness, Haruna Ibrahim, told Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member panel that he served as a polling unit agent during the Sept. 21, 2024 election that was held in the state.
He told the tribunal that though the election was properly conducted, he observed some irregularities in the form of over-voting and immediately complained to officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the polling unit.
Ibrahim mounted the box shortly after Oshiomhole, who is also a former governor of Edo, arrived at the venue of the tribunal to show solidarity with Gov. Monday Okpebholo.
Okpebholo is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who was declared the winner of the governorship contest by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The immediate-past Deputy Governor of Edo, Philip Shaibu, who had since defected from the PDP to the APC, was also at the tribunal to observe proceedings.
NAN reports that the tribunal had, on Thursday, admitted in evidence, 148 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System Machines (BVAS) that were used during the conduct of the disputed governorship poll.
The electronic devices were tendered by a Senior Technical Officer in the ICT Department of INEC, Anthony Itodo, and admitted in evidence by the panel.
The petitioners had subpoenaed INEC to produce the BVAS machines that were used in 133 polling units where election results are being disputed.
INEC had declared that Okpebholo of the APC secured a total of 291, 667 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ighodalo of the PDP, who got a total of 247, 655 votes.
Dissatisfied with the outcome of the poll, the PDP and its candidate approached the tribunal, praying it to nullify INEC’s declaration of the APC and Okpebholo as winners of the contest.
The petitioners, among other things, contended that the governorship election was invalid because of alleged non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.