Politics
Edo Governorship Tribunal Continues to Admit Evidence of Over-voting Across Many LGs
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More witnesses have continued to testify, at the instance of Asue Ighodalo and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), before the governorship election petitions tribunal sitting in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
The witnesses alleged massive irregularities in the conduct of the September 21, 2024 governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oredo, Ovia South West, and Esan North East.
There were also witnesses from Esan Central.
The witness from Oredo Local Government Area said the conduct of the governorship election was characterised by irregularities in some polling units in Esan North East, Oredo, Esan South East, and Esa Central local government areas.
Giving his testimony at the resumed hearing on the petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, the petitioners’ witness and PDP Esan North East Local Government Area Collation Agent, Mr. Igbarase Matthias, prayed the tribunal to admit his statement on oath, which he deposed to on October 11, 2024 in support of the petitioners’ case
The 54-year-old claimed that there was over-voting in polling unit 011, and added that he was aware that the uploading of results into the IREV took place at the polling unit level.
Upon cross-examination by the lead counsel to the first respondent (INEC), Kanu Agabi, the witness said he made his deposition on October 11, 2024 while the screenshots of INEC’s BIVAS Report he relied on in his statement were certified by INEC on January 8, 2025.
On his part, the PDP agent for Oredo Local Government Area, Aigbe Ighodaro Lucky, told the court that there was over-voting in 66 polling units in the local government area and incorrect scores were entered by INEC for his party in favour of All Progressives Congress (APC) during the election.
Lucky said he relied on INEC documents to arrive at his statement on oath and adopted same as evidence in the petition.
He also told the tribunal that there were no prior recordings of serial numbers of sensitive materials deployed for the election in the local government area in INEC’s Form EC25B.
For Adekunle Oboh, PDP Local Government Area Collation Agent in Esan Central, there were irregularities in 23 polling units in the area during the election.
Oboh also told the court in his testimonies that there were no prior recordings of serial numbers of sensitive materials deployed to some polling units in the area in Form EC25B.
He said the polling units’ result sheets were signed by his party’s agents up to the ward level before he signed Form EC8C.
He admitted that all the Forms EC8A (result sheets) were counter-signed by INEC presiding officers, and submitted that the documents he personally examined on the basis of his witness deposition were obtained from INEC by his party.
Wilson Ibhawa, the petitioners’ Esan South East Local Government Area Collation Agent, said there was no prior recording of serial numbers sensitive materials used in the election in Form EC25B in five polling units in his area.
While raising objections to the admissibility of the documents tendered in court, counsel to the respondents deferred their reasons to the address stage of the petition.
Similarly, Destiny Enabulele, a 48-year-old development worker, who appeared as a witness in Ovia South West Local Government Area, presented by PDP, sought leave of the tribunal to correct some errors in his witness deposition before adopting same. But this did not get the approval of the respondents’ counsel, who objected.
Moses Agbukor, 54, told the tribunal to disregard paragraphs 13 and 14 in his witness deposition, as it was inserted in error, which was objected to by counsel to the respondents because of the line of presentation.
Baba Odenobemhe, the sixth witness for the petitioners, also sought leave of the tribunal to correct some errors in his witness deposition before adopting same.
Chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, admitted the documents oral evidence as exhibits, provisionally, pending the arguments of the respondents’ counsel in their final written address.
Kpochi adjourned sitting to today, Friday, January 24, for continuation of hearing.
The Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has set up five-man reconciliation committee headed by Chief Obi Onwuachu.
The committee is mandated to reconcile all aggrieved members after the party’s primaries.
Other members of the committee are Ichie Mike Ejezie , Chief Amechi Chinweze, Chief Chris Akaghalu and Chief Mrs Tina Aronu
Their names were announced on Friday at the APC State Secretariat in Awka by the party during its expanded stakeholders meeting, led by the state chairman, Senator Emma Anosike.
The party used the occasion to ratify the expulsion of seven alleged recalcitrant members, who dragged the party to court in defiance to the APC’s constitution.
Furthermore, the party announced names of the three Senatorial candidates who emerged during the recent primaries in the state
They are Chief Mrs Chibuogwu Benson-Oraelosi for the South zone, Dr Mrs Ngozi Kene-Chiedu for the Central and Chief Kingsley Nnalue for the North .
Addressing the stakeholders,the state chairman, Senator Emma Anosike, declared that the party will do everything humanly possible to make sure that President Bola Tinubu wins the 2027 presidential election in Anambra.
He said: “Everything we are doing in APC belongs to Ward Chairmen, they hold everything.
“There is no bigger Party than APC in the coming 2027 elections in Anambra, anybody not proud of APC in Nigeria is making mistake. We must believe in the administration of Mr President, Bola Tinubu.
“If you are not a member of APC, you are not. Anyone that takes the party to court is automatically, expelled.
“This party is as strong as never before and every mobilization must go through the wards. We are entering operational election and not hide and seek election,” Anosike said.
An aggrieved political association, All Democratic Alliance, ADA, and its Protem Director of Mobilization, Ahidjo Ibrahim Karlahi have dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, before the Federal High Court in Abuja praying for an order of the Court to compel the electoral body to withdraw the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, as a political party in Nigeria.
The grouse of ADA and Karlahi are predicated on allegations that the Senator Seriake Dickson led NDC was illegally and fraudulently registered by INEC as a political party for the purpose of participating in election matters in the country.
In a suit with number FHC/ ABJ/CS/1115/2026, the two plaintiffs alleged that INEC gravely breached, disobeyed, ignored, omitted and deliberately failed to ensure compliance with relevant laws in the ways and manners NDC was secretly registered.
Among others, Karlahi and ADA alleged that the electoral umpire failed to comply with sections 1, 6, 13, 14, 222, 251 of the 1999 Constitution and sections 75 and 79 of the Electoral Act in the registration of the NDC.
In the suit instituted on their behalf by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, Bankole Joel Akomolafe via an originating summons, the two plaintiffs claimed that NDC never met any of the Constitutional requirements for it to qualify for registration as a political party.
Besides, they asserted that INEC has no unfettered and unrestricted discretion to register the NDC as a political party.
They therefore prayed the Federal High Court to issue an order against INEC to void, set aside, cancelled and revoke the purported certificate of registration in possession of NDC.
The two plaintiffs also sought order of perpetual injunction restraining INEC from further recognizing, accepting, maintaining in its records or present any person on the authority of NDC as a political party for any election.
Another order of perpetual injunction was sought against NDC restraining it from parading, introducing, presenting or call itself a registered political party either by publication, broadcast or any other means.
The suit instituted on June 2, 2026 was supported by a 25 paragraph affidavit deposed to by the first plaintiff, Hon Ahidjo Ibrahim Karlahi.
While Ahidjo Ibrahim Karlahi and All Democratic Alliance are the two plaintiffs, INEC and Nigeria Democratic Congress are listed as the two defendants.
Meanwhile, no date has yet been fixed for hearing of the new suit.
Osborne Ubong Okon, a political aide to Prince Godwin Ntuk Udeh—the Political Adviser to Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno—has been relieved of his duties after criticising President Bola Tinubu on social media.
The development comes amid rising national concerns over the security situation in the country, further highlighted by the recent abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State.
Taking to his Facebook page to express his frustration with the current situation, Mr. Okon, who identifies as a member of the ruling party, wrote:
“In a sane clime president Bola Ahmed Tinubu would’ve respectfully and honourably resigned. I’m of APC but truth be told.”
A few hours after the Facebook post went live, the office of the Political Adviser issued a letter terminating Mr. Okon’s appointment with immediate effect.
Governor Umo Eno has consistently maintained a good relationship with the federal government since defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in June 2025.
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