Edo election tribunal: Government House tensed over INEC’s failure to call witnesses
Tension has reportedly continued to mount within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State as uncertainty hangs over Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration.
This follows the twists at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja with the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) to tender the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines as evidence rattling the ruling party.
In addition, INEC’s refusal to call witnesses to defend the disputed election results has intensified fears and uncertainty within the state government.
Observers familiar with legal proceedings are baffled by INEC’s failure to present witnesses, especially in a case where the agency itself conducted the disputed election. The documents submitted before the tribunal are officially certified as true copies, said to be riddled with errors, omissions, and inconsistencies.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, who are challenging the election result, are convinced that any witness called to testify would face the daunting task of explaining the discrepancies under cross-examination, a scenario likely to expose contradictions and undermine their credibility further.
Ighodalo’s petition challenges the election on grounds of over-voting, non serialisation of the ballot papers, and inaccuracies in collation of results. Some legal experts argue that even a rookie lawyer could easily dismantle INEC’s defence by highlighting the self-evident flaws in their certified documents and the BVAS machines submitted as evidence. They argue that the situation not only threatens to invalidate the declared results, but could definitely pave the way for a ruling in favour of the petitioners.
Inside sources said that Okpebholo, the APC candidate in the 21 September 2024 election, and his allies are deeply unsettled by the tribunal’s direction, particularly INEC’s unexpected compliance in presenting the BVAS machines.
It is speculated that the growing tension within the administration has already led to a significant fallout with Wednesday’s suspension of Barrister Samson Osagie by the state government. A statement by the government however indicated that the disciplinary action against the commissioner and the Chairman of the state Local Government Service Commission, Hon. Damian Lawal, was over allegations of financial infractions.
As the tribunal continues, the uncertainty surrounding the legitimacy of Okpebholo’s administration looms large, leaving the state government teetering on the brink of exit.
