Edo tribunal: Ighodalo tenders extra proof

The 2024 Edo State Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, alongside together with his celebration on Saturday on the Election Petition Tribunal in Benin, tendered extra documentary proof to assist their petition.

Recall that Ighodalo and the PDP who’re contesting the conduct of the election had on Friday opened their case by tendering over one thousand paperwork earlier than the court docket.

All of the paperwork throughout Friday’s proceedings have been provisionally admitted in proof and marked as reveals by the Tribunal regardless of objections from counsel to the respondents (INEC, Governor Monday Okpebholo and All Progressives Congress).

The respondents’ counsel reserved their causes for his or her objections to the admissibility of the paperwork on the handle stage.

On the closure of proceedings on Friday, the Tribunal, headed by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, adjourned sitting to Saturday, January 18, 2025, for continuation of listening to on the petition.

On the resumption of the listening to on Saturday, a few of the extra paperwork tendered from the Bar by counsel to the petitioners, Ken. Mozia, SAN, embody 55 Licensed True Copies of polling Items Voters register used within the election.

Mozia additionally tendered CTC  of 56 accreditation figures of extracts from INEC’s Bimodal Voters Accreditation Methods Machines.

The counsel additional tendered 72 Licensed True Copies of extracts of accreditation figures from the BVAS system.

Moreover, Mozia tendered 75 Licensed True Copies of INEC’s Outcomes Viewing containing Type EC8A and 70 CTCs’ of INEC’s Polling Items Booklets, containing Type EC25B.

Additionally tendered have been 66 copies of Polling Items Voters Register and 125 copies of Type EC8A from IREV (all Licensed True Copies)

The counsel once more tendered 125 copies of Type EC8A from IREV, immediately licensed by INEC, 101 copies of Type EC8A, CTC of Edo State BIVAS of Polling Unit by Polling Unit’s report in addition to certificates of compliance by INEC.

In additional assist of the petitioners’ case, Mozia additionally tendered in court docket CTC of Certificates of compliance with BVAS machines’ report in respect of the 133 Polling Items earlier tendered as exhibit within the petition.

He stated, “My Lords, we want to tender CTC of Copy of serial numbers BIVAS machines’ deployed to 133 Polling Items and  Certificates of Compliance.”

Nevertheless, counsel to the trio respondents, Abdullahi Aliyu SAN, Offiong Offiong, SAN, and Chief Ferdinand Orbih, SAN, raised objections to the admissibility of the paperwork.

They,  nevertheless, reserved their causes for his or her objections to the admissibility of the petitioners’ paperwork on the handle stage.

Significantly, whereas counsel to the first Respondent (INEC), Aliyu didn’t object to the admission of certificates of compliance with BIVAS machines utilized in 133 polling items, counsel to the 2nd and third respondents, Offiong and Orbih objected and reserved their causes.

Ighodalo and the PDP approached the tribunal, difficult INEC’s declaration of Okpebholo because the winner of the September 21, 2024 guber election.

Ighodalo is urging the court docket to declare him the winner of the election, claiming he scored the very best legitimate votes solid within the train.

Listening to on the petition continues on Monday,  January 20,  2025.