Edo Guber Petition Tribunal: Asuen Ighodalo Jitters As Adoption Of Case Begins Monday

Ahead of the adoption of addresses by the Edo State Election Petition Tribunal on Monday, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Edo State September 21, 2024 governorship election, Mr. Asuen Ighodalo, is currently under pressure.

Political pundits are watching the developments with keen interest, believing that the will of the people cannot be traded and that the court is poised to deliver and reaffirm the will of the good people of Edo State.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Counsel, Emmanuel Ukala SAN, stated that the case of the petitioners is based entirely on non-compliance. “The Supreme Court has over the years laid down the provision of the law that the petitioners should prove the issue of over-voting from unit to unit, ward to ward, and local government to local government,” he said.

Ukala cited the Supreme Court case of UCHA Vs ELECHI, where it held that “where a petitioner complained of over-voting, he

should prove it polling unit by polling units, wards, and even local government.”

He further stated that even if the petition is based on section 73 of non-prior recording, the petitioners owe it a duty to prove it. Ukala maintained that the case of BABA VS INEC, the Supreme Court said the appellant has an enormous duty to prove polling unit to polling, ward to ward, and that the documents the petitioners are relying on were only dumped there in the court, and the documents remain useless.

He said the evidence of PW1-PW14 of the petitioners, none of their evidence is useful as it is hearsay evidence or evidence laced with hearsay. Ukala urged the Tribunal to dismiss the petition because no concrete evidence was brought forth.

He noted that forms EC25D were not mentioned in any of the petitioners’ witness statements on oath. “No demonstration of the BVAS and voters registered by the petitioners, and the case of the petitioners was not proven,” Ukala said.

With this scenario currently playing out, the governorship candidate of the PDP in the past election is reportedly not finding it funny at all.