The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), and its governorship candidate in Edo, Asue Ighodalo, on Monday, closed their case at the Edo Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
PDP and Ighodalo dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Gov. Monday Okpebholo to the tribunal challenging the outcome of the governorship election.
When the matter was called, the lead counsel for the petitioners, Mr Robert Emukpoeruo, SAN, told the tribunal that his clients had concluded their case having called 19 witnesses.
For its part, INEC tendered five additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, machines that were used during the election.
The electronic devices were tendered by Mr Anthony Itodo, a Senior Technical Officer in the ICT Department of the commission.
They were admitted in evidence even though all the respondents in the matter objected saying they would give their reasons in their final written addresses.
Recall that the the tribunal had earlier admitted in evidence, a total of 148 BVAS that were used in 133 polling units where results of the election are being disputed by the petitioners.
The Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member tribunal subsequently adjourned the matter until Feb. 5 for INEC to open its defence.
Similarly, the ADP also closed its case following the testimony of its Chairman in Edo, Mr Francis Obamwonyi.
Obamwonyi told the tribunal that he would be surprised if anyone told him that the party’s candidate in the election also doubled as the state collation agents since that was his responsibility.
The witness also told the tribunal that his party scored a total of 1,119 votes in the election that INEC declared the APC and it’s candidate as winners.
When asked to substantiate the allegations he made in his witness statement of non compliance with the electoral act, over voting, harassment and intimidation, he said he wrote it based on the reports of his party’s agents at various polling units.
The tribunal then fixed Feb . 6 for INEC to open its defence in this matter.
In an interview with NAN, the Chairman of APC in Edo, Mr Jarrett Tenebe said that the PDP closed its case abruptly because they had no case abinitio and that it was an indication that they had abandoned the case.
“They were called to testify but couldn’t produce more witnesses so closing their case at this point amounts to abandonment of the case.
“If you are challenging about seven hundred and something polling units and you call only 19 witnesses does that not amount to abandonment?
“I think they do not have a case that is why they hurriedly closed their case today which is a good thing for the APC,” Tenebe said.
Tenebe expressed confidence that when the APC opened its case, the whole country and the people of Edo in particular would know that the APC won the election.
INEC had declared Okpebholo of the APC as winner of the Sept. 21, 2024 election having scored a total of 291, 667 votes to defeat his closet rivalry, Ighodalo of the PDP, who scored a total of 247, 655 votes.
Not satisfied with INEC’s declaration, the PDP and its candidate approached the tribunal, asking it to nullify INEC’s declaration of the APC and it’s candidate as winners of the election.
In the petition marked: EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024 the petitioners alleged that Okpebholo did not secure the highest number of lawful votes and that the election was invalid on grounds of non-compliance with the Electoral Act.