*INEC to open defence Wednesday
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate during the Edo governorship poll, Asue Ighodalo, have closed their case before the Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja with testimonies from 19 witnesses.
The petitioners are challenging the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the gubernatorial contest held in the state on September 21, 2024.
At the resumed hearing of the matter before the tribunal, lead lead lawyer for the petitioners, Mr. Robert Emukpoeruo (SAN), informed the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member panel tribunal that they have concluded their case.
The application came shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) produced five additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, (BVAS) machines that were used for the election.
The electronic devices, which were tendered by a Senior Technical Officer in the ICT Department of INEC, Mr. Anthony Itodo, were admitted in evidence, though all the Respondents in the matter objected, saying they would give their reasons in their final written addresses.
The tribunal had earlier admitted in evidence a total of 148 BVAS that were used in 133 polling units where results of the election are being disputed by the PDP.
Meanwhile, the tribunal has fixed Wednesday for INEC to open its defence.
INEC had declared that Okpebholo of the APC secured a total of 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ighodalo of the PDP, who got a total of 247,655 votes.
Aggrieved by the outcome of the poll, the PDP and its candidate approached the tribunal, praying it to nullify INEC’s declaration of the APC and Okpebholo as winners of the contest.
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 Governor Okpebholo of the APC did not secure the highest number of lawful votes that were cast at the election
 and its governorship candidate during the Edo governorship poll, Asue Ighodalo, have closed their case){kind=link}