Dr Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2024 Edo State governorship election, has berated Sen. Monday Okpebholo over his comment on national television’s TVC News programme “Journalist Hangout.”

Ighodalo said Governor Okpebholo’s claim that “they are mopping up money to go and bribe tribunal people” is thoughtless, false, and a dangerous attempt to blackmail the judiciary.

In a statement signed by Erhabor Emokpae in Benin City on Wednesday, Ighodalo described Okpebholo’s televised comments alleging efforts to bribe members of the Edo State Election Tribunal as “deeply irresponsible and representing a desperate and calculated ploy to intimidate the judiciary, poison public discourse, and undermine confidence in a legal process that he suspects may not favour him.”

He said, “Let it be stated unequivocally: there is no truth to Okpebholo’s insinuation. It is a blatant lie, and he knows it. More than anyone else, the tribunal members also understand that no such attempt has been made, would be made, nor could it ever succeed. Okpebholo seeks to pre-emptively discredit any judgment that does not go his way by making such a reckless claim. It is the classic tactic of a sore loser—crying wolf when, in reality, there is none. The fact is simply that he did not win the people’s mandate.

“It is deeply troubling that a respondent in an ongoing case would seek to undermine the integrity of the judicial panel with such baseless accusations. This is a brazen and irresponsible attack intended to intimidate the members of the Election Petition Tribunal and erode public trust in our legal institutions.

“It is telling that Okpebholo, without evidence for his wild accusations, glibly relies on innuendo and divine invocation to justify his electoral delusions. His statement is riddled with contradictions: on the one hand, he claims to trust the judiciary and believes they will do the right thing; on the other, he attempts to smear them with baseless bribery allegations. Which is it? Either he respects the judiciary, or he does not.

“Senator Okpebholo must be aware that, as a respondent in an ongoing legal dispute, his uninformed comments on the merits of our case and his predictions about the Tribunal’s judgment are deeply sub judice. Having failed to attend a single sitting of the Tribunal, he nonetheless went on national television to discuss matters he neither understands nor has the acumen to comment on.

“All must condemn this attempt to pressure the tribunal through public defamation. It is dangerous, reckless, and beneath the dignity of anyone who claims to be a leader.

“Okpebholo should be reminded that democracy is not about forcing a narrative but about respecting the will of the people and the rule of law. The tribunal should take due note of his remarks—not because they carry any merit, but because they expose a desperate ploy to undermine a legitimate judicial process.

“Edo State deserves better. Nigeria deserves better. The judiciary must not allow itself to be dragged into the mud by those who neither understand nor respect the rule of law because they somehow think they are above it. This is typical of politicians who, when faced with defeat, resort to fabrications of lies and fear-mongering. The tribunal will do its work based on facts and the law, not on the baseless cries of those who refuse to accept reality,” Ighodalo emphasised.

 

 

 

The hearing of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo’s petitions by the Edo State election petition tribunal was on Monday stalled following the delay by the petitioners to serve the respondents the list of witnesses.

According to report PDP and its candidate, Ighodalo, are challenging the declaration of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidate, Monday Okpebholo, the winner of the governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

During Monday’s hearing, counsel to the respondents in an oral application objected to the petitioners’ request to call witnesses to testify in support of their petitions.

The counsel to the petitioners – Kanu Agabi, SAN, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN and Emmanuel Ukala, SAN – told the court that they were only served with the witness schedule lists few minutes to the commencement of the day’s proceedings.

They averred that the development denied them the time to adequately prepare for the cross examinations of the proposed witnesses.

“In view of the tribunal’s directives on Saturday and agreement reached by parties in the petition that list of witness schedules should be exchanged by parties at least a day before witnesses are called for each day.

“We expected that the schedule should be served on us yesterday (Sunday) through electronically or other means but counsel to the petitioners failed to do so.

“We did not see any list till at about 9:50 am before the resumption of hearing this morning. Our understanding of the Tribunal’s earlier directives and the consensus reached by parties in the suit to assist Your Lordship that no party is taken by surprise

“This purpose is clearly defeated when a list of witnesses is served at a party few minutes to the commencement of hearing.

“In that circumstance, it is our humble submission that the petitioners by their own choice rendered proceedings of today impossible and In these circumstances, we wish to say we will be ready to come back tomorrow,” Ukala said..

While aligning with the submission of Ukala, counsel to INEC, Agabi told the court that they are in the same predicament.

“Our duty here is to assist Your Lordship to reach a fair decision which we cannot do under these circumstances”, he added.

Counsel to Governor Okpebholo, 2nd respondent, Ikpeazu also adopted the positions of Ukala and Agabi.

Counsel to petitioners had averred that they were compelled to serve the respondents the list of witnesses schedule as a result of the alleged threat to their witnesses by the All Progressives Congress.

Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, opined that the serving of the witnesses list on the respondents was not deliberately to delay the proceedings but due to the situation they found themselves.

“My Lord, we did not deliberately delay the circulation of these witnesses we intend to call today. It was because of the situation we found ourselves up to yesterday (Sunday) evening.

“My Lord, the 3rd respondent state Chairman had made a broadcast on television and we have a tape of it where he threatened to apprehend our witnesses and supporters of PDP in the court premises.

“He specifically said that they (our witnesses) will be arrested today in court and dare them to show up today. We sent this video to the counsel of the 3rd respondent and we did not even get assurance of safety or security from them.

“We urge the Tribunal to refuse their applications for adjournment and allow us to proceed with our witnesses, after all,they are just eight in number,” he added.

The Edo State Governorship Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin City on Saturday admitted more documents from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo.

According to report PDP and its candidate, Ighodalo, are challenging the declaration of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidate, Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The tribunal had on Friday, January 17, 2025 provisionally admitted 1004 documents from the PDP and Ighodalo as exhibits.

During the continuation of the hearing at the weekend, the petitioners tendered more documentary evidence to support the petitions.

The additional documents tendered by Ken Mozia, SAN, counsel to the petitioners are 55 Certified True Copies, CTC, of polling Units Voters registers used in the election and CTC of 56 accreditation figures of extracts from INEC’s Bimodal Voters Accreditation Systems Machines, BVAS.

Also tendered are 72 Certified True Copies of extracts of accreditation figures from the BVAS devices, 75 Certified True Copies of INEC’s Results Viewing (IREV) Containing Form EC8A and 70 CTCs’ of INEC’s Polling Units Booklets, containing Form EC25B.

The petitioners further tendered CTC of 66 copies of polling Units Voters Registers and 125 copies of Form EC8A from IREV directly certified by INEC, 101 copies of Form EC8A, CTC of BVAS of Polling Unit reports as well as certificate of compliance by INEC.

Others are CTC of certificate of compliance, with BVAS machines’ reports in respect of the 133 Polling Units earlier tendered as exhibit in the petitions.

Mozia said, “My Lords, we wish to tender CTC of Copy of serial numbers BVAS machines’ deployed to 133 Polling Units and Certificate of Compliance.”

However, counsel to the respondents, Abdullahi Aliyu, SAN, Offiong Offiong, SAN, and Chief Ferdinand Orbih, SAN, raised objections to the admissibility of the documents.

They however reserved reasons for the objections to the admissibility of the petitioners’ documents to the final written address stage.

While counsel to the 1st Respondent, INEC, Aliyu did not object to the admission of certificate of compliance with BVAS machines used in 133 polling units, counsel to the 2nd and 3rd respondents, Governor Monday Okpebholo and APC, Offiong and Orbih objected and reserved reasons to the final addresses.

According to report PDP and its candidate, Ighodalo, are praying the court to declare them winner of the election, claiming that they scored the highest valid votes cast in the election.

The Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin City on Friday admitted 1004 documents tendered before it by Dr Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the election.

According to report the candidate and his party are challenging the conduct of the election as well as the declaration of the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Monday Okpebholo as winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Ken Mozia, counsel to the petitioner, tendered the documents at the resume hearing of the petition.

The 1004 documents tendered are all admitted as exhibits by the three-man tribunal chaired by Justice Wilfred Kpochi.

The documents included the Certified True Copies (CTC) of INEC declaration of results forms EC8A-E and Local Government Areas summary of results used for the conduct of the September 21, 2024 Governorship Election in the State.

Also tendered are Certified True Copies of Form EC8Cs, covering the 18 Local Government Areas in the state.

Certified True Copies, CTC of Forms EC8B (Wards Results Sheets) used for the conduct of the election in the 192 Wards in the state were also tendered in support of the petitioners cases.

The petitioners further tendered in evidence 320 Certified True Copies of Form EC8A documents (polling Units results sheets),

Others tendered by the petitioners are 318 CTCs of INEC’s Polling Units Booklets, each containing Form EC25D and 58 CTCs of Forms EC8A (IREV).

At the tendering of the documents, Mozia said the verification of the over 1004 documents were duly done in the presence of the lawyers of the parties and the tribunal Registrar.

Despite, the objection to the admissibility of the documents by respondents counsel which include Kanu Agabi, SAN, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN and VC Dewigwe, the tribunal admitted them as exhibits.

The respondents counsel said they would be giving reasons for the objections to the petitioners’ CTC documents at the final address of the petition.

Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led tribunal, however, provisionally admitted all the documents tendered in evidence and marked them as exhibits.

“Learned counsel to the respondents shall state their reasons for their objections at the address stage”, said Justice Kpochi

The tribunal, however, adjourned to Saturday, January 18, 2025 for continuation of hearing as the petitioners are expected to tender more documents in support of their petitions.

DAILY POST reported that with the admission of the documentary evidence the Petitioners Dr. Ighodalo and PDP would proceed to lead oral evidence in support of the petitions.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in the last Edo governorship election, Asue Ighodalo condemned what he called “deliberate acts of violence and harassment meant to make us take our eyes off the ball.”

He, however, expressed gratitude to the people of Edo State and reiterated his confidence in the judiciary as the tribunal proceedings over the disputed September 2024 governorship election intensified.

The guber candidate spoke to reporters outside the courthouse on Wednesday, where he addressed supporters’ concerns and condemned acts of intimidation aimed at disrupting the legal process.

According to report an armed man was seen in a viral video demanding justice from the tribunal.https://dailypost.ng/2025/01/15/edo-apc-pdp-bickers-over-shooting-at-election-petition-tribunal/

Addressing reporters, Ighodalo said, “We strongly believe that the judiciary will do the right thing, and we’re looking forward to the outcome of the tribunal.

“Our focus remains reclaiming our mandate and working positively for the good people of Edo State. We will take poverty out of our land, eliminate fear and intimidation, and unlock the great potential of this state.

“I want to thank the good people of Edo State for coming out in massive numbers to vote for us on September 21 and for keeping faith through the difficulties.

“They’ve stayed calm in the face of intimidation and harassment, living on the strong hope that our efforts to reclaim our mandate will be successful.”

On the series of alarming incidents that have marred the tribunal proceedings, including an attack by a masked gunman outside the courthouse, he noted that “These acts of violence and harassment are deliberate distractions meant to make us take our eyes off the ball.”

He further stated that “the incidents underscore the importance of staying focused.

“There are many distractions being thrown our way, but we will not be deterred.

“Our goal remains ensuring that we go through this tribunal process and hopefully emerge with the mandate the people of Edo State gave my deputy Osarodion Ogie and myself.”

It could be recalled that earlier on Tuesday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, raided a popular Benin hotel where PDP witnesses were reportedly being kept, an incident that further raised tensions.

Party officials have accused the APC of deploying state resources to intimidate witnesses and derail the tribunal process.

The EFCC has released a statement confirming the raid but denying that it was politically motivated.

Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, Chairman of the PDP’s Edo Caretaker Committee, condemned the incidents, linking them to a broader APC strategy of intimidation.

“The APC is deploying thugs disguised in PDP attire and using state agencies like the EFCC to disrupt our case at the tribunal. This level of desperation is unacceptable,” he claimed.

The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday adjourned hearing on Asue Ighodalo and the Peoples Democratic Party’s petitions to Friday, January 17, 2025, to enable parties in the suit to have a pre-hearing meeting with the court registry on the way to go about presentation of documents by the petitioners.

According to report the Justice Wilfred Kpochi- led three-man adjourned hearing of the petition on Friday, January 17, 2025.

Justice Kpochi slated Thursday, January 16, 2025 for the parties in the petition to have a pre-hearing meeting with the court registry.

The adjournment of the petitions followed the motion by Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, petitioners’ lead counsel, that his clients were ready to tender carefully arranged documents used in the conduct of the election.

Oyeyipo represented by Ken Mozia told the court that the documents set to tender from the bar were arranged in a way to make the entire process seamless for parties before the court.

However, counsel to Governor Monday Okpebholo, APC and INEC, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, Emmanuel Ukala SAN, and Kanu Agabi, SAN, respectively, opposed the motion of the petitioners’ counsel.

The trio averred that the documents should have be filed before the court before same can be admitted as exhibits.

Meanwhile, as the tribunal fully commenced hearing of petitions before it, a 70 years old Victoria Ogbebor testified for Dr Bright Enabulele the candidate of Accord Party, AP.

The 70-year-old witness told the tribunal that she acted as a unit agent in Unit 32 for her party in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area during the election.

When asked by the respondents counsel if she knew Enabulele, she said that she may know the name.

The counsel to the petitioner, J.A. Dagher, also called two other witnesses.

The two other witnesses are Mr.Zakaria Wisdom Yahaya and Daisy Nwanchukwu.

Yahaya in his witness statement prayed the court to rely on it in support of the petitioner’s case.

He told the court that the conduct of the election in his Polling Unit 28, Ward 8, in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area where he functioned as a polling unit agent for the party, AP were married with irregularities such as ballots stuffing.

When cross examined by Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, and Abdullahi Aliyu, SAN, counsel to the 1st to 3rd respondents, the witness also told the court that he functioned as ward agent for his party.

The third witness for the petitioners Daisy Nwanchukwu told the tribunal that she functioned as a polling Unit agent in Oredo Unit 9, Ward 3.

Nwanchukwu, when asked by the respondents if she was given an agent card by INEC to function in the election, answered in the negative.

The tribunal adjourned continuation of hearing to Thursday, January 16, 2025.

However, speaking with journalists shortly after the adjournment, Ighodalo, candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, expressed confidence in the judiciary of reclaiming his mandate.

Ighodalo also commended the people of the state for their overwhelming votes during the governorship election.

“I want to use this opportunity to commend the people of Edo State for coming out en masse to vote for us on September 21, 2024 and for keeping faith with us.

“They have been very calm in the face of intimidation, harassment in the last three months in the state.

“We strongly believe that the judiciary will do the right thing and we are looking forward to the outcome of the Tribunal proceedings”, he stated.

According to report seven petitions challenging the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo as winner of the 2024 Edo State Governorship Election were filed before the tribunal.

The petitioners are Asue Ighodalo, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Accord Party, AP, Allied Peoples Movement, APM, Action Democratic Party, ADP, Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, and the Social Democratic Party, SDP.

According to report the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had on September 22, 2024, declared Senator Monday Okpebholo Okpebholo, the APC candidate winner of the election with 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival Dr Asue Ighodalo of PDP, who polled 247,274 votes.