Edo Governorship Tribunal: Okpebholo Closes Defence with Lone Witness

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has closed his defence at the governorship election tribunal after presenting a single witness. The tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, has adjourned proceedings until Wednesday, when the All Progressives Congress (APC) is expected to open its defence.

Despite initially indicating plans to call six witnesses, Okpebholo’s legal team, led by Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), chose to rely solely on the testimony of Usman Mark, a farmer and APC polling agent during the election. Under cross-examination, Mark maintained that the APC won the election but admitted that votes recorded in Ovia South West Local Government Area, a stronghold of Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa, exceeded the number of accredited voters.

After Mark’s testimony, Okpebholo’s legal team rested its case, bringing this phase of the hearing to a close. Last Thursday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also concluded its defence without presenting any witnesses.

INEC had declared Okpebholo the winner of the September 21, 2024 election, securing 291,667 votes against his closest opponent, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who received 247,655 votes. However, the PDP and its candidate have challenged the result, arguing that the election was marred by irregularities and non-compliance with the Electoral Act. They insist that Okpebholo did not secure the highest number of lawful votes.

The petitioners have already presented their case, featuring testimony from 19 witnesses and submitting various documents as evidence. INEC, for its part, submitted 153 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines from the 133 polling units where results are being contested, along with a certified copy of the election result.