Edo tribunal: PDP, APC clash over alleged threats to witnesses

By Jude Opara, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress, (APC) yesterday had a spat at the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal over alleged threats to witnesses.

Shortly after the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member panel began sitting, Ken Mozia, SAN, lead counsel for the PDP and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, alleged that some witnesses billed to testify in the matter have been threatened.

According to Mozia, though the names of the proposed witnesses were coded through the use of acronyms, identities of the witnesses were known through the roles they played during the governorship election that was held on September 21, 2024.

“My lord, we gave them (respondents) the list of witnesses. But what they did to some of those witnesses was beyond imagination, to the extent that some of them are afraid to come and testify,” the petitioners’ counsel added.

He informed the court that he earlier drew the attention of APC’s counsel, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, to what the witnesses were being subjected to.

However, his allegation did not go down well with senior lawyers who appeared for respondents in the petition that is seeking to nullify Governor Monday Okpebholo’s election.

Counsel for the APC, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, dismissed the allegation, insisting that the petitioners knew what to do if their witnesses were threatened.

Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Kpochi, not ready to be drawn into the brawl, urged the petitioners to furnish the respondents with the list of witnesses, ahead of time.

Meanwhile, the Ward Agent of the PDP in Akoko-Edo LGA, Eseigbe Victor, had mounted the witness box to testify for the petitioners.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared that Okpebholo of the APC secured a total of 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ighodalo of the PDP, who got a total of 247,655 votes.

Aggrieved by the outcome of the poll, the PDP and its candidate approached the tribunal, praying it to nullify INEC’s declaration of the APC and Okpebholo as winners of the contest.

The petitioners, among other things, contended that the governorship election was invalid because of alleged non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act.

They equally argued in the petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, that Okpebholo of the APC did not secure the highest number of lawful votes cast in the election.