Edo Tribunal: Witnesses Reveal How INEC Excluded Collation of Results in 76 PUs
Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
A witness, yesterday, at the Edo State Governorship Tribunal, revealed how the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) allegedly unlawfully excluded a total of 2,840 votes scored by candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Asue Ighodalo in 76 Polling Units in Ward 2, Ikpoba Okha LGA at the September 21st Governorship Election in Edo State.
Giving his testimony at the resumed hearing of the petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, a PDP witness and LGA Collation Agent for Ikpoba Okha, established in evidence with graphic details that INEC unlawfully excluded 2,840 PDP votes during collation from ward to local government levels.
He tendered IREV’s Certified True Copies (CTC) results sheets obtained from INEC and the duplicate copies of polling unit result sheets Form EC8A issued by INEC to polling unit agents as documentary evidence.
He revealed that while the correct scores were contained in the IReV duly Certified True Copies (CTCs) declared and uploaded at the various polling units, noting that the incorrect scores were later computed in favour of APC at the Ward to state Level in Forms EC8B-E.
The witness further stated that as a Collation Agent, he thoroughly examined agents duplicate copies and INEC verified CTCs of all Result sheets Forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D used for the election and discovered that results from 76 polling units in Ward 2, Ikpoba Okha LGA were declared at the PU levels and uploaded on IREV before transmission to ward level for collation, but the results were not finally collated at the LGA and State level by INEC.
Under cross-examination by Counsel to respondents, Kanu Agabi, SAN, the witness reaffirmed that he was a Collation Agent in the election and that he examined the result sheets himself.
He went further to tender his agent identification Tags, CTCs of INEC original result sheets, BVAS Accreditation and original result sheets from IREV.
The court admitted all the evidence before adjourning to Wednesday for appearance of more witnesses.l
Similarly, the witness from Akoko-Edo LGA while givingoral evidence, or Akoko-Edo disclosed that number of votes cast in the area exceeded BVAS accreditation for eight polling units.
He also disclosed that INEC incorrectly computed and inflated 5,724 votes for APC in 48 Polling Units in Akoko Edo, adding that they (INEC) failed to record serial number of result sheets in 17 PUs
He further alleged that there was was over-voting in 8 Polling Units(PUs) as INEC BVAS report of accreditation showed clearly that the total number of votes cast and declared by INEC in result sheets Forms EC8A were in excess of the total accreditation figures captured by BVAS in 8 Polling Units in the LGA.
In addition, he testified that INEC collated incorrect scores in favour of APC in 48 Polling Units across Wards 4 and 9 in Akoko Edo Lga of Edo State.
He stated that from a thorough examination of agent copies and INEC CTCs of Results Forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D used to declare the results of the Governorship Election in the LGA, it was manifest that INEC made incorrect computation of the results in the affected polling units (PUs).
During Cross examination by Counsel to the 2nd respondent(Okpebholo), Oyechi Ikpeazu SAN, the witness reiterated that he was a Collation Agent in the LGA and that examined all the documents he mentioned in paragraphs 6, 18, 27 and 28 of his written statement on oath.
