The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja witnessed dramatic proceedings on Tuesday as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, faced backlash for failing to produce crucial witnesses to substantiate their petition challenging the September 21, 2024, gubernatorial poll.
Counsel to the petitioners, Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, blamed "travel disruptions" for their inability to present witnesses, pleading for an adjournment to streamline their case. However, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, leading the tribunal, expressed disappointment over the delay, describing it as a waste of judicial time.
"What you are just telling us is not good at all! Why then did we ask the other petitioners to take dates? We should have heard them today," Justice Kpochi fumed, before reluctantly granting an adjournment till Thursday.
The day's lone witness, Mr. Oseyili Anenih, Director of Research and Strategy for the PDP, admitted under cross-examination that he lacked firsthand evidence from polling units and relied on unsigned reports from agents. He also revealed that their team had no direct access to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) but tendered screenshots as evidence.
Anenih’s testimony came under further scrutiny when he confirmed that of the 16 result copies he reviewed, only three were stamped, which he argued represented "significant" evidence.
The tribunal's proceedings raise critical questions about the credibility of the petition, with many observers questioning whether Ighodalo's legal team can recover from this early setback.
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