January 20, (THEWILL) – The Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal started work in earnest at the weekend with the admission in evidence of all documents tendered by the Edo PDP governorship candidate, Dr Asue Ighodalo, in support of his petition challenging INEC’s declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo as Governor of Edo State.
At the resumed hearing of Ighodalo’s petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, the court admitted all 1,004 documentary evidence tendered by the petitioners in spite of the objections raised by counsels to the respondents, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and Governor Okpebholo, respectively.
The documentary evidence admitted include Certified True Copies (CTC) of INEC declaration of results forms EC8A-E and LGA summary of results used for the conduct of the September 21, 2024 Governorship Election in Edo State.
Moving the application for the admission of the evidence, Lead Counsel to the petitioner, Ken Mozia(SAN) said the verification of the over 1,004 documents have been duly done in the presence of the lawyers of the parties and the Registrar and therefore tendered them accordingly.
In their reaction, counsels to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents, Kanu Agabi (SAN), Onyechi Ikpeazu and VC Dewigwe objected to the tendering of the documents, but the court admitted the evidence in favour of the petitioners.
With this development, the coast is now clear for the petitioners, Dr Ighodalo and PDP to proceed to lead oral evidence in support of their case.
Reacting to developments, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2024 governorship election in Edo State, Dr Asue Ighodalo, reiterated his strong belief in the ability of the Judiciary to right the perceived wrongs associated with the governorship election in state.
Ighodalo stated this while addressing journalists outside the venue of the tribunal which started the substantive hearing of his petition in Benin-city, the Edo state capital.
“So far so good today. We are glad the way things have gone. We strongly believe that the judiciary will do the right thing and we are looking forward to the outcome of the Tribunal proceedings,” he said.
Ighodalo used the opportunity to express his profound gratitude to the people of the state for keeping faith and refusing to be provoked in the face of immense harassment and intimidation.
He alluded to the sundry arm twisting tactics being employed by the other party to the petition to cause distraction for him and his party.
“We know a lot of things are being done to make us take off our eyes from the ball in ensuring we go through the tribunal proceedings effectively and reclaim our mandate and be able to work positively for the people and remove poverty from our land and take Edo State to the next level.
“I am hopeful that by the grace of Almighty God, this opportunity will be realized and Osarodion Ogie and I will take Edo State to the next level where the people can live well, be happy and take poverty, harassment and intimidation, Lions and Tigers out of our land. Edo is blessed handsomely by God and by His grace we will bring out the potential in the state,” he stated.
However, the state government has called on opposition parties, particularly the PDP to exercise caution and seek proper legal counsel in their approach to the ongoing case before the Governorship Election Tribunal.
The Media Office of Governor Okpebhole called on the opposition party to carefully navigate the complexities of the electoral process, especially following last Wednesday’s proceedings at the tribunal.
The office noted that during the January 15 session, presided over by Justice Wilfred Kachi, Petition No. EPT/ED/GOV/01/2024, filed by Dr Bright Enabulele and other political parties, was deliberated and “three witnesses testified on behalf of the petitioners, while the respondents, including Governor Monday Okpebholo, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the All Progressives Congress were represented by their legal counsel.”
It wondered why the PDP was “prematurely celebrating” a perceived victory due to an alleged misinterpretation of the role of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in determining voter turnout.
“In a surprising turn of events, the PDP celebrated under the mistaken belief that BVAS was the sole determinant of voter turnout. However, proper legal counsel would have informed them that, according to the Supreme Court, the decisive factor is the voter report from polling units and wards,” the office stated.
The government further clarified that the tribunal’s analysis reaffirmed the APC’s victory in the election, rendering the PDP’s celebrations premature and misguided. According to them, the importance of understanding electoral laws and seeking professional legal advice is very much needed at these times.
Arguing that the government remains focused on delivering good governance despite alleged attempts by the opposition to distract his administration, the media office said, the outcome of the Wednesday proceedings “underscores the need for the opposition to seek proper legal guidance and avoid being misled as the intricacies of electoral law require careful navigation to avoid costly errors.”
The statement concluded by urging all parties to respect the legal process and prioritise the development of the state over divisive politics.
Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has urged Ighodalo to assist its officers in arresting Mr Jonathan Okunbor, a suspect connected to a case of misappropriation of funds involving all the 18 local government areas of Edo State.
Spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, Dele Oyewale, dismissed the claim that Okunbor is a witness of the PDP in its case at the ongoing Edo governorship election petition tribunal.
According to Oyewale, investigators had interrogated the counsel to Ighodalo on the status of Okunbor in the election tribunal matters, and he clearly stated that he was not a witness in the matter.
Oyewale said ongoing investigations showed that about N6 billion was diverted to Kezmith Global Ventures, owned by Okunbor, maintaining that the suspect was running the ventures using the name and identity of Mr Godfrey Emode.
He added that the Commission’s investigators, in their quest to unearth the Okunbor, arrested Emode, who led them to the suspect in Eterno Hotel, where a pre-trial meeting was being held.
He said, “Despite this, Mr Ighodalo and his co-travellers at Eterno Hotel prevented EFCC officers from carrying out their constitutional duty and obstructed them from arresting Okunbor’s shadiness.
“Specifically, Ighodalo insisted that Okunbor was his witness when it was obvious that he only wanted to aid his escape from the commission’s investigators.
“The commission wishes to state without any equivocation that Okunbor is not a witness of the PDP in the election tribunal, as claimed by Mr Asue Ighodalo. Rather, he is a prime suspect connected to a case of misappropriation of funds involving all the 18 local government areas of Edo State.”
Oyewale noted that the EFCC remains committed to its adherence to the rule of law and it has no business with any Edo State election witness who has been charged by the commission for corruption.
He added that the agency will not hesitate to bring anyone to trial, witness or no witness, if it has a need to do so.
He gave the public the assurance that Okunbor will be brought to book soon in connection with the alleged N6 billion fraud involving his firm, Kezmith Global Ventures.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
