The twelfth petitioner witness, Oseyili Anenih, testified on Tuesday before the Edo State Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja, alleging widespread irregularities in the September 21, 2024, gubernatorial elections. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, are challenging the election results, which declared Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner.

At the hearing, moved from Benin City to Abuja, Anenih, the PDP’s Director of Research and Strategy, claimed that irregularities affected results in 765 polling units, accounting for 16.7% of Edo State’s 4,519 polling units. He argued that if lawful votes had been accurately collated, Ighodalo would have won the election.

Key Allegations by the Star Witness

Anenih alleged:

1. Unverified Results: Copies of results from polling units submitted to the PDP Situation Room were unsigned and contained discrepancies when compared to the certified true copies and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) reports obtained from INEC’s IREV portal.
2. Reported Infractions: He received oral and written submissions from party agents and election experts documenting irregularities in 320 polling units.
3. Limited Access to BVAS Machines: While physical access to BVAS machines was unavailable, the PDP relied on screenshots of BVAS data obtained from INEC’s portal.

However, under cross-examination, Anenih admitted that:

• He did not personally visit all the polling units or document the irregularities.
• Some results collected by the PDP were illegible and excluded from the petition.
• He was not trained by INEC to handle election-related processes.

Respondents Challenge Evidence

Counsel for INEC, Kanu Agabi, and Governor Okpebholo’s legal team, led by Onyechi Ikpeazu, questioned the credibility of the evidence. Ikpeazu pointed out discrepancies in the timeline of BVAS data extraction, noting that the certified true copies were obtained in January 2025, while the data was reportedly extracted in November 2024.

Counsel for the APC, Emmanuel Ukala, further challenged Anenih’s reliance on secondhand reports and the disruptions during the election, which limited the PDP’s ability to collect results directly.

Adjournment Due to Witness Unavailability

The tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, adjourned proceedings until Thursday, January 30, after PDP’s counsel, Adetunji Oyeyipo, cited travel disruptions as the reason for the absence of other witnesses. Oyeyipo assured the tribunal that the petitioners would present more witnesses at the next sitting and streamline their list to expedite the process.

The case continues as the PDP seeks to overturn the election results, alleging irregularities that undermine the credibility of the gubernatorial polls.