Shocker As INEC Closes Defence Without Witnesses At Edo Election Tribunal

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

It  was yet another melodrama from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, at the ongoing   sitting of the Edo state Election Petition Tribunal, as it, on Thursday, February 6, 2025, closed its defence without calling a single witness.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday ,February 5, the INEC legal team led by a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Kalu Agabi, SAN, had asked for adjournment to enable the Commission call some Witnesses  to buttress their case.

The Source reports that it has  always been the case for the electoral umpire to call in witnesses to defend results declared during  elections in the event of  disputations.

However, when the opportunity presented itself for INEC to produce witnesses to defend the declaration of All Progressive Congress, APC, Candidate,  Governor Monday Okpebholo winner against his closest rival, Peoples Democratic Party’s Chief Asue Ighodalo, INEC,  to the shock of APC and observers rather opted to close its case.

Agabi, much to the surprise of everyone, told the Tribunal that the INEC will no longer be calling witnesses as earlier promised .

Expectedly, the APC which had strongly hoped that the Commission will be calling witnesses to defend its victory, was left heavily stunned by the development.

For one, the PDP and its candidate in the September 21, 2024 off-circle election, had expressed serious reservations about the outcome of the polls as announced by INEC.

The PDP in its petition is contending that the result, as declared by the Commission, was tainted and manipulated in favour of the APC.

Specifically, the PDP is of the view that the number of votes announced far outnumbered that of accredited voters.

Thursday’s incident comes on the heels of the  tendering of about 152 BVAS Machines used for the accreditation of voters during the election by INEC.

Under subpoena from the PDP, the INEC which had initially objected to tendering the machines, last week presented 148 BVAS which the Tribunal immediately admitted in evidence.

But on Monday February 3, INEC  witnesses called by the PDP tendered four more BVAS ,much to the surprise and protestation by the APC.

Same Monday, the PDP had closed its case, exuding confidence that the BVAS will do justice to its claim of alleged over voting and bogus allocation of figures to its rival the APC.

The Tribunal has  adjourned further proceedings to February 10, 2025, with the APC scheduled to kick- start its defence.