Edo Guber Tribunal: INEC fails to present witness

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The Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, has concluded its case before the Edo State governorship election tribunal without presenting a witness.

INEC’s legal counsel filed a formal motion to close the case without introducing any witnesses, which the Tribunal accepted.

The Commission would rely only on cross-examinations and arguments from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Monday Okpebholo’s counsel.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had originally challenged the election results, accusing INEC of orchestrating major irregularities and vote manipulation.

Using the 2022 Electoral Act, the PDP’s legal team relied mainly on documentary evidence rather than oral testimony.

The PDP’s appeal focusses on key aspects of the Act, such as Section 137, which prioritises documentation proof over oral testimony, and Section 73(2), which requires the nullification of results in polling locations where ballot paper and BVAS serial numbers were not pre-recorded.

The Tribunal has previously acknowledged important BVAS machines as evidence.

Witnesses from the PDP, including local government agents and an expert witness (PW12), described systemic manipulation during result collation.

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja suspended further proceedings on Wednesday till today, February 6, at the request of the INEC, whose five witnesses were not in court.

INEC was scheduled to commence its defence on the conduct of the September 21, 2024 gubernatorial election, but informed the Tribunal that its witnesses had been held up.

Abdullahi Aliyu, counsel for the electoral authority, informed the Tribunal that the five scheduled witnesses were held up on their way from Benin City and chose to offer three documents in order to make some headway in the day’s proceedings.

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