*INEC Throws in the Towel: Fails to Defend Allegations of Rigging Edo Governorship Election*

In an extraordinary twist at the Edo 2024 Governorship Election Tribunal, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has failed to call any witnesses to defend itself against allegations that it colluded with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to manipulate the election in favor of Governor Monday Okpebholo.

The shocking development came after INEC’s legal counsel formally moved to close its case without presenting any witnesses—a motion accepted by the Tribunal. This abrupt end to INEC’s defense leaves the electoral body relying solely on cross-examinations and arguments from APC and Okpebholo’s lawyers, a move legal experts say is fraught with risk.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has mounted a robust challenge to the election results, accusing INEC of orchestrating widespread irregularities and vote manipulation. Leveraging the 2022 Electoral Act, PDP’s legal team focused heavily on documentary evidence rather than oral testimony.

Key provisions of the Act—such as Section 137, which prioritizes documentary evidence over oral testimony, and Section 73(2), which mandates the nullification of results in polling units where ballot paper and BVAS serial numbers were not pre-recorded—form the crux of the PDP’s petition.

The Tribunal has already admitted critical BVAS machines into evidence, devices the PDP claims will expose over-voting and discrepancies in the declared results. Testimonies from PDP witnesses, including local government agents and an expert witness (PW12), detailed systemic manipulation during result collation. Independent monitors, such as Athena Centre and TAP Initiative, have corroborated these claims, further denting INEC’s credibility.

By opting not to call witnesses, INEC appears to be taking a gamble, leaving its defense in the hands of APC and Governor Okpebholo’s legal teams. Analysts suggest this approach could backfire, as INEC must now contend with its own certified records and the BVAS data, which the PDP argues clearly contradict the declared results.

This development follows revelations from an undercover investigation by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), which alleged INEC’s complicity in inflating votes for the APC. The report, combined with the PDP’s evidence and legal precedent, paints a damning picture of the electoral body’s role in the disputed election.

https://www.signalng.com/inec-throws-in-the-towel-fails-to-defend-allegations-of-rigging-edo-governorship-election/

Josepholome:
*INEC Throws in the Towel: Fails to Defend Allegations of Rigging Edo Governorship Election*

In an extraordinary twist at the Edo 2024 Governorship Election Tribunal, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has failed to call any witnesses to defend itself against allegations that it colluded with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to manipulate the election in favor of Governor Monday Okpebholo.

The shocking development came after INEC’s legal counsel formally moved to close its case without presenting any witnesses—a motion accepted by the Tribunal. This abrupt end to INEC’s defense leaves the electoral body relying solely on cross-examinations and arguments from APC and Okpebholo’s lawyers, a move legal experts say is fraught with risk.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has mounted a robust challenge to the election results, accusing INEC of orchestrating widespread irregularities and vote manipulation. Leveraging the 2022 Electoral Act, PDP’s legal team focused heavily on documentary evidence rather than oral testimony.

Key provisions of the Act—such as Section 137, which prioritizes documentary evidence over oral testimony, and Section 73(2), which mandates the nullification of results in polling units where ballot paper and BVAS serial numbers were not pre-recorded—form the crux of the PDP’s petition.

The Tribunal has already admitted critical BVAS machines into evidence, devices the PDP claims will expose over-voting and discrepancies in the declared results. Testimonies from PDP witnesses, including local government agents and an expert witness (PW12), detailed systemic manipulation during result collation. Independent monitors, such as Athena Centre and TAP Initiative, have corroborated these claims, further denting INEC’s credibility.

By opting not to call witnesses, INEC appears to be taking a gamble, leaving its defense in the hands of APC and Governor Okpebholo’s legal teams. Analysts suggest this approach could backfire, as INEC must now contend with its own certified records and the BVAS data, which the PDP argues clearly contradict the declared results.

This development follows revelations from an undercover investigation by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), which alleged INEC’s complicity in inflating votes for the APC. The report, combined with the PDP’s evidence and legal precedent, paints a damning picture of the electoral body’s role in the disputed election.

https://www.signalng.com/inec-throws-in-the-towel-fails-to-defend-allegations-of-rigging-edo-governorship-election/

No be only Towel what about bucket and soap?

Good luck

Na today nyansh dey for back?

Isn't Nigeria an interesting place

They no send anybody, I won't also bother with any defense when they have shared the judgement in our WhatsApp group

Just like that?
Akpakomiza, what’s the situation at your end?

Lmaooo why waste time when you know the judgement

Lets see the magic the tribunal would do.

Why call a witness when you know you have already won the lawsuit?

*INEC Throws in the Towel: Fails to Defend Allegations of Rigging Edo Governorship Election*

OP 's opening statement above is very funny..

Na you be the Judge

E be like say you be JJC for elections matter for this country..

You wan report tribunal proceedings and you are already biased in your reportage

Sha don't cry foul when the yeye Tribunal no see any merit in the case.

Na so dem dey do

Josepholome:
*INEC Throws in the Towel: Fails to Defend Allegations of Rigging Edo Governorship Election*


https://www.signalng.com/inec-throws-in-the-towel-fails-to-defend-allegations-of-rigging-edo-governorship-election/

Another biased write up. It is actually the best move since pdp and Ighodalo have already bungled their own case via their funny witnesses. The defence will just rely on the testimonies extracted from the pdp witnesses which has already damaged their case.calling new witnesses is not necessary

APC and Inec came to steal, kill and destroy this country

themanderon:
Lets see the magic the tribunal would do.

No magic,the case is lost

Oga, this is the same propaganda they propagated during the Obi/Atiku petitions. That APC and INEC closed their cases without witnesses. It turned out Obi and Atiku had no case so nothing to defend.

If your case is flimsy, there is nothing to defend. Carrying ballot boxes and BVAS machines to court without referencing how they support your charge of rigging is not a case.

I don’t know what transpired in court but a defense teams closes it case without defense, I think you should be worried that your case was probably so flimsy it wasn’t worthy of a defense.

mrvitalis:
Lmaooo why waste time when you know the judgement

Exactly since pdp themselves have damaged the case

ElevationD:
Just like that?
Akpakomiza, what’s the situation at your end?

The battle is over

Case finally dismissed..

Courtesy
Apscam

Dey don already no say witness or no witness oga at the top go still control he judiciary to judge the case in favour of APC. No b Nigeria we dey

Port443:
Isn't Nigeria an interesting place

They no send anybody, I won't also bother with any defense when they have shared the judgement in our WhatsApp group

Hahahahah

casualobserver:
Oga, this is the same propaganda they propagated during the Obi/Atiku petitions. That APC and INEC closed their cases without witnesses. It turned out Obi and Atiku had no case so nothing to defend.

If your case is flimsy, there is nothing to defend. Carrying ballot boxes and BVAS machines to court without referencing how they support your charge of rigging is not a case.

I don’t know what transpired in court but a defense teams closes it case without defense, I think you should be worried that your case was probably so flimsy it wasn’t worthy of a defense.

Very true. If the defence starts calling witnesses now, the witnesses will make mistakes and the media will latch on it to misinform the public.it is better they don't give them that joy

mejetov422:
Case finally dismissed..

Courtesy
Apscam

Case dismissed because pdp has no case

Badgers14:
Why call a witness when you know you have already won the lawsuit?

Exactly

mrvitalis:
Lmaooo why waste time when you know the judgement

Quite unlike when Obasanjo rigged 2007 elections with Iwuruwuru INEC and the courts reversed them, for Oshiomole and other governors. Yar'Ádua was also not spared as Onnoghen joined two other SCON justices to issue a minority opinion trashing the presidential election results.

Can it be that APCis not just worse in governance, but also worse than PDP in corruption including for elections

So what exactly is APC useful for to the 200 million people of our country?

Symphony007:
Buhari reveals how APC won Osun governorship with ‘remote control’

President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, while appealing to traditional rulers in Osun State to support his reelection to enable his administration consolidate on its achievements, revealed that APC was able to win the state’s governorship election held months back with the aid of remove control.

Buhari, who failed to provide details of what he meant by remote control, said: “I know how much trouble we had in the last election here. I know by remote control through so many sources how we managed to maintain the party (APC) in power in this state.”

https://guardian.ng/politics/buhari-reveals-how-apc-won-osun-governorship-with-remote-control/?F

mrvitalis:
Lmaooo why waste time when you know the judgement

Edo PDP's case is similar to Peter Obi's case against Tinubu's election. They couldn't produce a single evidence of rigging or wrongdoing so there is no need for INEC to waste time and be calling witness to defend allegations that were not even proved by the petitioner.

The Edo governorship election has been won and lost. The ongoing case is nothing but an academic exercise.

Akpakomiza2:


Very true. If the defence starts calling witnesses now, the witnesses will make mistakes and the media will latch on it to misinform the public.it is better they don't give them that joy

You say you were robbed by a woman. You charge me (a man) with stealing your property. You come to court with CCTV showing a woman robbing you. You provide no evidence in court that I was wearing a wig or was dressed as a woman or that I was at the crime scene, no fingerprints, no DNA, nothing. What am I supposed to say in court? I can simply rest my case without saying anything except “not guilty” because you have provided no evidence that I was at the crime scene, caught with the stolen materials or in possesion of a wig or clothes similar to those worn by the woman in the CCTV . There is nothing to defend! The judge can see I am a man and you have provided no evidence despite all the fanfare, CCTV camera, etc etc that I was the one disguised as a woman!

mejetov422:
Case finally dismissed..

Courtesy
Apscam

Scam and APC be like Siamese twins- inseparable.
That was how they scammed us with a rotten package of shege that was called change. 10 years later, are we wiser to their scamdemic ways

Emergingnation:
Flashback: How Bola Tinubu spoke highly of Buhari in 2015, named PDP ‘Poverty Development Party

National leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu had during the presidential campaign in 2015, referred to President Muhammadu Buhari as the only solution for the security and economic challenges facing Nigeria.

During a mega presidential rally, the former governor of Lagos State recalled how some powerful nations in the world returned to army generals when they were challenged, saying “Major General Buhari would revive Nigeria’s economy”.

He named the current opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP as the “Poverty Development Party saying they had nothing to offer.

His words at the time were; “Every nation has a period of their own challenges, when America was challenged, they turned to one great man, their ex-military general, General Eisenhower. When the French were challenged, they turned to their general, Charles de Gaulle.

“When Britain was challenged, they turned to their general. Today, Nigeria is economically and physically challenged so we turn to General Muhammadu Buhari. He is the right man for the job. If you talk about military experience, he has it abundantly, he has courage, simplicity, he has it abundantly.

“If you talk about great determination, a combination of vision and ability to perform, honesty and integrity, he has it abundantly.

“I laugh when the incapable government, ‘Poverty Development Party’ PDP were talking. They have nothing again to say, they now want to question the qualifications of General Buhari and look for his certificate”.

Following the manifestos in 2015 which projected the APC presidential candidate as a ‘saviour’, Buhari defeated the then incumbent president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan with Nigerians expecting a total change in security and economy.

https://dailypost.ng/2021/09/01/flashback-how-bola-tinubu-spoke-highly-of-buhari-in-2015-named-pdp-poverty-development-party/

Akpakomiza2:


The battle is over

Let’s wait, watch and see.

Ship Don sail and I hope Inec no go play ds kind hanky panky come 2027 cos e no go easy.