Update: PDP’s Second Witness Stuns Court with Evidence of Massive Over Voting in Edo Guber Election
Ismail Abdulazeez Mantu Reporting
Stunning revelations of massive over-voting have emerged from the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, as evidence presented before the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has cast doubt on the credibility of results declared in Akoko Edo Local Government Area (LGA).
Truth Live News confirmed that the revelations came during the ongoing proceedings in the petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo. The tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, is scrutinizing alleged irregularities, including claims that the total number of votes cast in eight polling units exceeded the accredited voter count recorded by the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
A PDP witness, who served as the LGA collation agent for Akoko Edo, testified that BVAS reports revealed clear discrepancies. He stated that results declared by INEC on Forms EC8A were significantly higher than accreditation figures in eight polling units. Furthermore, he alleged incorrect vote collation in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across 48 polling units in Wards 4 and 9 of the LGA.
Key Findings Presented
Over-voting in 8 Polling Units: Evidence showed that votes declared by INEC in the affected polling units exceeded BVAS-accredited figures.
Inflated Votes for APC: The witness testified that 5,724 votes were overstated for the APC, while 2,171 votes were unjustly deducted from the PDP.
Non-Compliance with Electoral Act: INEC allegedly failed to record mandatory details, including serial numbers of sensitive materials and BVAS machines, in 17 polling units. The witness argued this oversight rendered the results from these units null and void under the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended).
The tribunal admitted all documentary evidence presented by the witness, marking them as Exhibits Pn 1–46, despite strong objections from counsel to the respondents, including senior lawyers Oyechi Ikpeazu SAN and Kanu Agabi SAN.
During cross-examination, the witness maintained his role as the collation agent and affirmed his thorough review of INEC documents, including Results Forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, and EC8D. He stood by his assertion that the discrepancies in results were glaring and demanded accountability.
The proceedings have intensified political tension in Edo State, with the PDP alleging widespread malpractice and calling for justice. Dr. Ighodalo’s petition seeks to overturn the results declared by INEC, which announced the APC candidate as the winner.
With the tribunal set to continue tomorrow, Truth Live News will be on the ground to bring you live updates.