Witnesses of the Peoples Democratic Party, on Tuesday, gave testimonies on how irregularities allegedly marred the September 21, 2024 Edo governorship election in three council areas.

The PDP and its candidate in the election, Asue Ighodalo, are challenging the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress as the winner.

Being led in evidence by Abiodun Owonikoko, PDP counsel in the petition, one of the witnesses, Kennedy Osifo, tendered agents’ copies of the election results for 76 polling units.

The polling units are in Ward II of Ikpoba Okha LGA, where he alleged four electoral irregularities.

According to him, the irregularities were observed when the agents’ copies were examined alongside the certified true copies of the results of the BVAS accreditation report obtained from the INEC’s IREV portal.

He said that the discrepancies had been highlighted in his witness statement on oath, which he urged the tribunal to adopt as evidence in the case.

Mr Osifo, who said he was the PDP local government collation officer in the poll, alleged that the INEC relied on incorrect scores to announce the election’s final result.

When cross-examined, Mr Osifo said that his testimonies were based strictly on the two documents and not on contacts with the agents.

On his part, Adebayo Ogedegbe alleged cases of irregularities in 45 units across Akoko-Edo LGA.

Mr Ogedegbe, the party collation officer for the local government, testified that INEC computed incorrect scores that negated the records in the certified true copies in 41 of these units.

The witness alleged overvoting in the four other units, seeking to tender the agents’ copies of the results of these units in evidence to corroborate his claims.

For Owan West LGA, Lucky Aroye tendered agents’ copies of results in nine units, where he also alleged overvoting.

Mr Aroye said there were no prior recordings of sensitive materials in seven units of the council areas, urging INEC to adopt his statement on oath as evidence in the case.

When asked if the witness could visit all the units in the local government as the collation officer, he said there was no way he could have done that, considering the number.

Meanwhile, Kalu Agabi, Onyechi Ikpeazu, and Ukala, counsels to INEC, Okpebholo and the APC, objected to the admissibility of the tendered documents.

The lawyers, however, reserved their grounds to the final written addresses.

Justice Wilfred Kpochi, the tribunal’s chairman, said in his ruling that the documents were provisionally admitted in evidence.

Kpochi adjourned the sitting until Wednesday to continue the hearing.

(NAN)