The Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, was on Tuesday, told how the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, unlawfully excluded a total of 2,840 votes scored by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo in 76 polling units in Ward 2, Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the state at the September 21, governorship election in Edo State
In 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 LGA levels.
He tendered IREV’s Certified True Copies of results sheets obtained from INEC and the duplicate Copies of Polling Unit Result sheets Form EC8A given by INEC to polling unit agents as documentary evidence.
It was revealed that while the correct scores were contained in the IREV duly Certified True Copies, CTCs, declared and uploaded at the various polling units, the incorrect scores were later computed in favour of All Progressives Congress, APC at the Ward to state Level (Forms EC8B-E).
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The witness stated that as a Collation Agent he thoroughly examined Agent 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 examined the result sheets by 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 despite the objections raised by counsel to INEC) and 2nd repondents (Monday Okpebholo) respectively.
