“Edo Governor’s Case Ends Abruptly After Witness Confirms Over-Voting”

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State concluded his defense in the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja after presenting only one witness.

The sudden end to his case came after his sole witness, Usman Majek, admitted to over-voting during the September 21, 2024, governorship election. Majek, who served as a polling unit agent for the All Progressives Congress (APC), acknowledged under cross-examination that over-voting had occurred in his polling unit. He further confirmed that accreditation and voting had taken place simultaneously, a practice that violates electoral guidelines.

Majek also testified that he had reported the discrepancies to both the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after he recorded and signed the results that did not align with the proper procedures.

Following Majek’s testimony, Governor Okpebholo’s counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), requested to close the case, a motion that was unopposed by the other parties involved in the proceedings.

The three-member tribunal panel, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, agreed to close the governor’s case and adjourned the proceedings to February 12 for further hearings.

The petition challenging the election outcome was filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, with the APC and Governor Okpebholo named as respondents in the case.