The hearing at the Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, continued on January 22, 2025, with a Collation Agent from Ovia South West LGA testifying about alleged multiple instances of overvoting in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at seven polling units during the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State.
It is noteworthy that Hon. Dennis Idahosa, the running mate to the APC gubernatorial candidate and now Deputy Governor, hails from Ovia South West LGA.
During the resumed hearing of petition EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, the witness, a PDP Collation Agent for the election in Ovia South West, presented evidence showing that the total number of votes cast in polling units 014, 007, 004, 006, 016, 028, and 034 exceeded the total number of accredited voters.
Read Also: What Transpired On Tuesday At Edo Election Tribunal
The witness, in his sworn statement, asserted that INEC failed to cancel the affected polling units despite clear evidence of multiple overvoting. Under cross-examination, the witness revealed that PDP agents had observed the overvoting in favor of the APC in these units and had raised protests, but the presiding INEC officers ignored them.
To support his claim, the witness presented the BVAS accreditation report, certified true copies (CTC) of result sheets Form EC8A-C, CTCs from the IREV, and INEC’s CTCs of BVAS extracts.
Although counsel for the first respondent (INEC), Kanu Agabi (SAN), and the second respondent (Okpebholo), Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), raised objections to the admissibility of the witness’s statement on oath, the court accepted it.
The hearing is set to continue with the examination of additional PDP witnesses.
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