BY ANTHONY OCHELA, ABUJA
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Oseyili Anenih claimed on Tuesday that his party’s candidate in the last governorship election, Asue Ighodalo, won the poll.
Anenih, who was the PDP’s Director of Research and Strategy during the election held on September 21, 2024, said if lawful votes cast at the election were sincerely collated, his party’s candidate would have emerged victorious.
Anenih stated this while testifying at the resumed sitting in Abuja of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which is hearing the petition by the PDP and Ighodalo, challenging the outcome of the election.
Anenih, who is the 12th petitioners’ witness, also claimed that most copies of the results that agents of the party made available to him in his party’s situation room were not signed.
He told the tribunal that although there were 4,519 polling units in Edo State during the election, the petitioners were challenging results from about 765 polling units.
He admitted that he could not visit all the polling units during the election, adding that most of the evidence the petitioners are relying on were based on reports submitted by their agents and experts.
Under cross-examination by lawyer to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), Anenih said although the petitioners did not have any physical access to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines used for the election, they got some screenshots of it, which they tendered in evidence.
He said the petitioners have since subpoenaed the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to make the machines available before the tribunal.
Under cross-examination by lawyer to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), Anenih said he was not trained by INEC to play any role during the election.
He agreed that none of the polling unit results was handed over to him personally by agents of the party.
When handed a copy of the results already tendered, the witness noted that out of 16 copies of the results in the bundle, only three were stamped.
He added: “To us, that three that were stamped was significant enough. It represents almost 20 percent.”
The proceedings were however brought to an early end when the petitioners could not call additional witness, claiming their intended witnesses suffered travel disruptions.
Petitioners’ lawyer, Adetunji Oyeyipo (SAN) explained that his clients’ proposed witnesses, “suffered travel disruptions.”
Oyeyipo pray d the court fot a new date to enable the petitioners assemble more witnesses.
Tribunal’s Chairman, Justice Wilfred Kpochi expressed discomfort about the development.
Justice Kpochi added: “What you are just telling us is not good at all. Why then did we ask the other petitioners to take dates?
“We should have heard them today. In fact, call those your witnesses. Tell them to come, we are ready for them to come today.”
Responding, Oyeyipo further pleaded with the tribunal to adjourn till a later date, following which the tribunal adjourned till January 30.
