….APC lawyers discontinue cross examination of witness, Move for Recess
-By Omoruyi Osaghae, Benin City
A key witness and LGA Collation Agent for Esan Central in the ongoing Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin City, on Thursday 23rd January 2025, gave sordid details of how the September 21st Governorship Election in Edo State was rigged in favour of the All Progressives Congress(APC) across 22 Polling Units in Esan Central LGA of Edo State.
Recall that APC Governorship Candidate and now Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo6 hails from Esan Central LGA where INEC declared a total of 10,998 votes for APC and 8,618 votes for PDP in the Governorship Election.
At the resumed hearing of the Election Petition No *EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024* filed by Dr. Ighodalo and PDP seeking to challenge INEC’s declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo as Governor of Edo State; the Esan Central Collation Agent told the court that there was massive Rigging and irregularities in 22 Polling Units in Okpebholo’s LGA.
The rigging was particularly characterized by INEC’s deliberate Non Serialization of result sheets and other sensitive materials deployed for the exercise in Esan Central LGA.
He stated that INEC’s failure to record in the prescribed forms, the serial numbers and other particulars of result sheets, Ballot Papers, BVAS machines and other sensitive Electoral materials used for the conduct of the election in 22 Polling Units in Esan Central LGA is manifestly shown on the face of Form EC25B prescribed by the first respondents(INEC) and the purported votes allocated in the affected polling units are invalid for failure to comply with prior recording.
The Petitioner was represented by Adetunji Oyedipo(SAN) while kanu Agabi(SAN) Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) and Emmanuel Ukala(SAN) represented the 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents respectively.
Answering questions during Cross examination, the witness maintained that he was referring to Serialization of sensitive Electoral materials used and not the non-sensitive ones.
He also established in a forensic Tabular computation that the invalidation of all invalid and illegal votes allocated accordingly will leave APC with 7,796 Votes and PDP with 8,039 Votes in Esan Central LGA.
Shocked by his forensic presentation, Counsels to Respondents discontinued the cross examination and quickly moved adjournment of proceedings to Friday, 24th January 22nd 2025.
