Edo election tribunal: INEC tenders additional BVAS machines as PDP closes case

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday, tendered five additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines that were used in the conduct of the September 21 governorship election in Edo at the governorship election tribunal sitting in Abuja. 

The electronic devices were tendered by a Senior Technical Officer in the ICT Department of the Independent National Electoral Commission,  Anthony Itodo, before the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member panel of the tribunal.

It would be recalled that Itodo, had on Thursday, January 30, tendered 148 BVAS machines used in the 133 polling units in the governorship poll in the state following a subpoena order by the tribunal. 

The petitioners had anchored their claim against the outcome of the election on alleged wrongful computation of results during collation at the ward and local government levels.

After taking five witnesses last Friday, the tribunal had adjourned to today to enable the petitioners continue their case challenging the declaration of All Progressives Congress’s candidate, Monday Okpebholo, as governor.

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At the resumed hearing, the petitioners expressed satisfaction that they have established their case against the respondents, going by the testimonies of their witnesses and the plethora of documentary evidence brought before the panel.

Lead counsel for the petitioners, Robert Emukpoeruo, SAN, thereafter informed the tribunal that they would be closing their case against the respondents.

Although INEC, Okpebholo and the APC opposed the admissibility of the five BVAS machines, the tribunal however accepted them pending its ruling on their relevance to the case.

In all, the petitioners called 19 witnesses which they say was very sufficient in establishing their case.

Five of the witnesses gave their evidence of alleged over-voting after INEC brought in BVAS used in the areas where election results are being disputed.

Meanwhile, the tribunal has fixed Wednesday for INEC to open its defence.

The electoral umpire had declared Okpebholo of the APC winner of the September 21 governorship election after scoring a total of 291, 667 votes.

PDP’s Ighodalo came second after scoring a total of 247, 655 votes.

Aggrieved by the outcome of the election, the PDP and its candidate approached the tribunal, praying it to nullify INEC’s declaration of Okpebholo as governor.

The petitioners, among other things, contended that the governorship election was invalid by reason of alleged non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act. 

They equally argued in the petition marked: EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, that Gov. Okpebholo of the APC did not secure the highest number of lawful votes that were cast at the election.