Ismail Abdulazeez Mantu Reporting
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has presented the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines used in the September 21 Edo governorship election before the Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja, sending shockwaves through the camp of Governor Monday Okpebholo and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This unexpected development followed sustained legal pressure and a subpoena from the petitioners, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Asue Ighodalo and his party. The move is being hailed as a significant breakthrough in the ongoing legal battle over the governorship mandate.
According to Clinton PSA we, an insider source from the Edo Government House report that Governor Okpebholo was visibly shaken by the turn of events, abruptly canceling all official engagements to hold an emergency strategy session with his legal team. Adding to the tension, former governor and APC strongman Adams Oshiomhole made a surprise appearance at the tribunal on Friday, accompanied by senior party figures, in what observers described as a desperate attempt to manage the unfolding crisis.
The ruling APC, which had previously expressed confidence in its position, was reportedly blindsided by INEC’s compliance with the tribunal’s order to produce the BVAS machines. The party’s growing anxiety is linked to a precedent set by the Supreme Court in the Osun governorship dispute, where it ruled that proving over-voting requires not just extracts from BVAS records but the physical machines themselves.
With the BVAS devices now admitted as evidence, the PDP wasted no time in strengthening its case. On Friday, it presented additional witnesses from Akoko Edo, Etsako East, Owan East, and Etsako West LGAs, detailing instances where votes cast allegedly exceeded the number of accredited voters captured by the BVAS machines.
Party insiders view this as a game-changer, with the potential to unravel APC’s claim to victory. “The truth is finally coming to light,” a PDP legal representative said. “The BVAS machines don’t lie, and the data speaks for itself.”
Oshiomhole Faces a Harsh Political Reality
For Oshiomhole, who once relied on judicial intervention to secure his governorship, this tribunal case is a sobering reminder that legal battles can be unpredictable. As the proceedings intensify, the fear of a potential mandate reversal looms over the APC, reinforcing the growing perception that INEC’s BVAS has become the ultimate decider of electoral legitimacy.