By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, on Monday, February 3, 2025, submitted another set of the BVAS machines used in the September 21, 2024, off-circle gubernatorial election in Edo State.
This is even as the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, formally closed its case at the Election Petition Tribunal, now forced to be sitting in Abuja.
The Source reports that the PDP had, after the polls which was won, according to INEC, by the All Progressive Congress’ Governor, Monday Okpebholo, approached the court, seeking a reversal.
The PDP in its petition is disputing the figures of the election, as announced by the INEC.
The party is of the position that the number of votes pronounced by the electoral umpire far outnumbered the total number of accredited voters
In all, the PDP had anchored its petition against the result of the polls on alleged over-voting and bogus allocation
of figures far more than the number of accredited voters.
The INEC had initially objected to the request by the PDP for the submission of the machines, used in accrediting voters during the election but had to succumb in the face of a subpoena.
The electoral body had on Thursday, January 30, 2025, presented the first set of about 148 BVAS machines to the Tribunal.
The Tribunal has since admitted the machines in evidence, a development which has greatly unsettled the ranks of the rival APC.
The BVAS is expected to provide a clear insight into the actual number of accredited voters, during the election.
It is also widely seen as having the huge potentials of establishing any discrepancies between the number of accredited voters and the figure announced during the election.
Expectedly, the further admission of the second tranch of the BVAS, during Monday’s sitting did not go down well with the APC legal team.
But despite their stringent opposition, the Tribunal ruled to admit the additional machines in evidence, thus piling more pressure and anxiety on the already jittery APC.
The Source further reports that the submission of the second tranche of the BVAS greatly shocked the APC, and its legal team as they were made available by INEC officials, who appeared as PDP witnesses.
The move has been seen by not a few as signaling troubled times for the APC
Instructively, the PDP with the arrival of the second batch of the BVAS, announced the conclusion of its case .
“With the BVAS machines and all the evidence we have submitted to the Court, our case is sealed”, one of the PDP Counsels enthused.
During the sitting, the APC legal team, obviously stunned, asked the Tribunal to grant it some time to prepare and present its defence.
Consequently, the Tribunal adjourned to reconvene on Wednesday, February, 5, 2025.
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
