The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the 2024 Edo State governorship election in Nigeria, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, have begun presenting their case against the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election.
At the election petition tribunal sitting in Benin City on Friday, January 17, 2025, Ighodalo and the PDP submitted a series of documents as evidence, claiming that the election was marred by widespread irregularities and non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended).
Ighodalo, a legal and financial expert, argued that he had secured the highest number of valid votes cast and questioned the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to declare Okpebholo the winner. “The election results, as announced by INEC, do not reflect the true will of the Edo people,” Ighodalo maintained.
At the hearing, lead counsel for the petitioners, Adetunji Oyeyipo (SAN), submitted certified true copies (CTCs) of key election documents, including Form EC8E, which contains INEC’s final declaration results. Another lawyer representing the petitioners, Kenneth Mozia, also tendered Form EC8D, a summary of collation results from the state’s 18 local government areas.
The petitioners further submitted CTCs of Form EC8C, which details results from all 18 LGAs, as well as Form EC8B, containing ward-level results across the state’s 192 wards. In addition, they presented 320 CTCs of Form EC8A, which contains individual polling unit results, along with 318 CTCs of INEC’s Polling Unit Booklets and 58 CTCs of Form EC8A from the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
However, the legal teams representing INEC, Governor Okpebholo, and the APC, led by senior advocates Kanu Agabi (SAN), Onyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN), and D.C. Denwigwe (SAN), raised objections to the admissibility of the documents. “We object to these submissions and will present our reasons at the final address stage of the proceedings,” Agabi stated.
Despite the objections, Tribunal Chairman Justice Wilfred Kpochi provisionally admitted all documents as exhibits, noting that the respondents’ objections would be addressed later. “Learned counsel for the respondents shall state their reasons for objections at the address stage,” Justice Kpochi ruled.
The hearing is set to continue on Saturday, January 18, 2025, with the petitioners expected to present additional documents in support of their case.
