APC’s First Witness At Edo Election Petition Tribunal Embarrasses Party Admits Over Voting

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Edo State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Monday abruptly adjourned  proceeding  to Wednesday, February 12, 2025 to allow the All Progressive Congress, APC, rejig its witness presentation strategies .

The Source reports that the APC ,which is battling so hard to defend its victory in the September 21,2025 off-circle gubernatorial election  Monday suffered yet another setback following the admission of  over-voting by its first witness

Under cross examination ,Usman Majek ,who was called by the APC as its first witness ,when it formally opened  its defence, to the surprise of everyone in Court, admitted to incidents of over-voting at his polling unit in Usen ,Ovia South West Local Government Area of the state.

When shown the result sheet of his polling unit during the election by Counsel to Governor Monday Okpebholo, the witness, to the shock of the APC counsel and everybody in court ,admitted that despite endorsing the result as an agent, there was over- voting during the exercise.

For the records, Ovia South West Council is the home Council of the Deputy Governor, Chief Dennis Idahaso.

Instructively ,it is also one the Councils where the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, alleged heavy manipulation of figures by the Independent National Electoral Commission ,INEC, in favour of the APC.

The PDP and its candidate, Chief Asue Ighodalo, had rejected the outcome of the polls on the grounds that the number of votes declared were in excess of the number of accredited voters.

In its petition at the Tribunal, the PDP is calling for a reversal of the earlier result affirming the APC as the winner .of the elections.

As would be expected, the admission of  over-voting by its first witness, instantly sent shock waves across the rank of both APC and its legal team, a development which forced them to move for an adjournment.

Monday’s seemingly embarrassing scenario comes on the heels of last Thursday’s presentation of four additional BVAS Machines before the Tribunal by INEC officials called in by   APC as witnesses .

Earlier, the Electoral umpire, under subpoena had tendered 148 BVAS machines used for accreditation of voters during the election.

The admission of the BVAS, in evidence is seen by not a few as having the potentials to establish any discrepancies between the actual number of accredited voters and the result declared by INEC.

The admission of the BVAS machines has been unsettling to the APC which has so far been pushed into a somewhat tight corner in its task of defending its victory at the polls . APC’s First Witness At Edo Election Petition Tribunal Embarrasses Party Admits Over Voting

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Edo State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Monday abruptly adjourned  proceeding  to Wednesday, February 12, 2025 to allow the All Progressive Congress, APC, rejig its witness presentation strategies .

The Source reports that the APC ,which is battling so hard to defend its victory in the September 21,2025 off-circle gubernatorial election  Monday suffered yet another setback following the admission of  over-voting by its first witness

Under cross examination ,Usman Majek ,who was called by the APC as its first witness ,when it formally opened  its defence, to the surprise of everyone in Court, admitted to incidents of over-voting at his polling unit in Usen ,Ovia South West Local Government Area of the state.

When shown the result sheet of his polling unit during the election by Counsel to Governor Monday Okpebholo, the witness, to the shock of the APC counsel and everybody in court ,admitted that despite endorsing the result as an agent, there was over- voting during the exercise.

For the records ,Ovia South West Council is the home Council of the Deputy Governor, Chief Dennis Idahaso .

Instructively ,it is also one the Councils where the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, alleged heavy manipulation of figures by the Independent National Electoral Commission ,INEC, in favour of the APC.

The PDP and its candidate, Chief Asue Ighodalo, had rejected the outcome of the polls on the grounds that the number of votes declared were in excess of the number of accredited voters.

In its petition at the Tribunal, the PDP

is calling for a reversal of the earlier result affirming the APC as the winner .of the elections.

As would be expected, the admission of  over-voting by its first witness, instantly sent shock waves across the rank of both APC and its legal team, a development which forced them to move for an adjournment.

Monday’s seemingly embarrassing scenario comes on the heels of last Thursday’s presentation of four additional BVAS Machines before the Tribunal by INEC officials called in by   APC as witnesses .

Earlier, the Electoral umpire, under subpoena had tendered 148 BVAS machines used for accreditation of voters during the election.

The admission of the BVAS, in evidence is seen by not a few as having the potentials to establish any discrepancies between the actual number of accredited voters and the result declared by INEC.

The admission of the BVAS machines has been unsettling to the APC which has so far been pushed into a somewhat tight corner in its task of defending its victory at the polls .