Politics
Edo Election Dispute: INEC Tenders BVAS Devices In Petition By PDP, Ighodalo
Published
7 months agoon
By
Editor
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday tendered five additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices used for the last governorship election in Edo State before the state governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja.
According to The Nation , the devices were tendered by a Senior Technical Officer in the ICT Department in INEC, Anthony Itodo, following which the tribunal admitted in evidence, even though all the respondents objected, promising to adduce reasons in their final written addresses.
Following a subpoena by the petitioners – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo – INEC, last week, brought 148 BVAS used in 133 polling units where results of the election are being disputed by the petitioners, who are alleging over voting.
READ ALSO: Edo Gov’ship Tribunal: PDP, Ighodalo Close Case With 19 Witnesses
The petitioners subsequently announced the conclusion of the presentation of their case shortly after calling a total of 19 witnesses whose testimonies centred mainly on alleged irregularities, especially during the collation of votes at both the ward and local government levels.
The petitioners’ lawyer, Robert Emukpoeruo (SAN) announced the closure of his client’s case on Monday shortly
INEC had declared that Okpebholo of the APC secured a total of 291, 667 votes to defeat his closet rivalry, Ighodalo of the PDP, who got a total of 247, 655 votes.
Aggrieved by the outcome of the poll, the PDP and Ighodalo filed their petition before the tribunal, praying it to, among others, nullify INEC’s declaration of the APC and Okpebholo as winners.
READ ALSO: What Oshiomhole Said After Witnessing PDP’s Petition Hearing At Tribunal
The petitioners anchored their claim against the outcome of the election on the alleged wrongful computation of results during collation at the ward and local government levels.
They are among others, contending that the election was invalid because of alleged non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act.
They also claimed, in the petition marked: EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024 that Okpebholo did not secure the highest number of lawful votes that were cast at the election.
Meanwhile, the three-member tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, has adjourned till Wednesday, February 5 for INEC to open its defence.
Speaking after Monday’s proceedings, Edo State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Anthony Aziegbemin was optimistic about a positive outcome, noting that the petitioners, through their lawyers, have done justice to the case.
READ ALSO: Edo Govt Faces Legal Battle As Sacked Officials Challenge Termination
Aziegbemin said: “We think the case is pretty straightforward, we think it is documentary based, we think it is specific, we think the judiciary will give it some judicial cognisance of what we tendered before them.
“We believe that they have all they need from us and all that we should produce, I think we have given it to them. And we expect them to look at them and see how it goes.
“But suffices to say that it is not a petition as we used to have it in the country, where you call a lot of witnesses.
“We didn’t need to call a lot of witnesses. We called the witnesses that we needed to prove our case and make our case more solid”, he said.
Aziegbemin said he was surprised that INEC objected to the admissibility of its own documents, adding that it “gives us and Nigerians something to think about. Why will INEC oppose the documents it certified to the petitioners to be tendered in the open court?
“I think the tribunal will look into that and see why they are objecting, though they said they will give reasons at the address stage but it is strange. It doesn’t add up,” the Edo PDP Chair said.
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Politics
US Desperate To Remove You, Cleric Warns Tinubu
Published
13 hours agoon
August 23, 2025By
Editor
The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu again regarding the vice president, Kashim Shettima, and his 2027 second-term ambition, while also stating that America is “desperate to remove” the president.
Primate Ayodele, in a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, warned Tinubu not to drop Shettima as his running mate, noting that even if the VP offends the president, he should settle it for his own good.
He explained that an attempt to bring another person on board would be a “huge minus” and would “destroy his chances and bring unnecessary enemies to him.”
“Dropping Shettima will cause trouble for you; those who want him out are your enemies who don’t want you to succeed. Anything that Shettima might have done, forget it, and let’s move the country forward,” the cleric advised.
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He continued; “If you remove Shettima, it’s a minus for you; don’t remove him if you still want to maintain your chances. There are things you need to settle between yourself and Shettima, settle with him and let him remain; if not, it will be a serious minus to your government.”
The cleric stated that Shettima is harmless to Tinubu, but that the president will still face challenges in the north, predicting that “the Emirs will gang up against you.”
He urged the president to “do extra work” because the “election won’t come by easily.”
Primate Ayodele further revealed that America won’t support President Tinubu’s second-term ambition and will “do everything to see him removed from power.”
READ ALSO:
He urged the president to avoid “self-inflicted problems by solving the issues of hunger and security.”
“Also, make sure you sort out the issue of international communities, like I said, America isn’t your friend. America is desperate to remove you; they will do everything to see you out of power.”
He stated that there are people who can defeat Tinubu, and although none have openly shown interest yet, with the current situation on the ground, they will defeat the president if they contest.
READ ALSO:
“I am not in support of anyone. If anyone comes out to contest and can defeat you, I will tell you, but I have not seen it yet. However, you need to work very hard because if the person comes out with the situation on the ground, you will have issues.”
He concluded by reiterating that the true problems are not personnel, but the nation’s challenges.
“Shettima isn’t your problem, but hunger in the country and other factors. If you don’t fix them, removing anybody from your government or adding anyone will not do you any good. You should also work on security, you can win terrorists, they are within Nigeria.”
Politics
I’m Not Ready To Go Into The Gutters With Anyone – Makinde
Published
2 days agoon
August 21, 2025By
Editor
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday, said he is not ready to “go low with anyone who decides to go into the gutters.”
He made this statement while addressing journalists shortly after the South-West zoning consultative summit of the Peoples Democratic Party, held in Lagos.
He said, “Personally, when people go low or go into the gutters, I don’t go with them. Some people are now going into the gutters. We will reach out to them. That is democracy.
READ ALSO:Makinde, Wife Installed As Aare Omoluabi, Yeye Aare Omoluabi Of Akure Kingdom
“I can disagree with people, but there shouldn’t be anything personal here. It should be about what we are giving to Nigerians because they are watching.”
The governor added that despite challenges, recent elections had shown that the PDP remained a formidable force.
“In all our states, they showed last Saturday that PDP is not dead. In most other places of the 12 states, PDP came second. It is an indication to us that if we continue to work hard, we can reclaim the confidence of Nigerians,” he said.
When asked about discussions on zoning of the PDP presidential ticket to the South, Makinde said the party was not yet at that stage.
READ ALSO:2027: Makinde For President Posters Flood Kano
“We haven’t even gotten there. We need to have a party first before you start talking about presidential candidates. If we don’t have a party, anything you are trying to do will fall flat.
“Our efforts right now are directed towards having a vibrant and united PDP that Nigerians will be proud of and believe in again,” he said.
Dignitaries at the meeting include the Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the party’s National Zoning Committee and Bayelsa state governor, Douye Diri; Governors Ademola Adeleke of Osun state, Peter Mba of Enugu State, represented by his deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai; former Osun Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Bode George; and Monsurat Sunmonu.
Others were 12 of the 17 PDP National Assembly members and key stakeholders of the party from across the southern states.
Politics
2027 Presidency: Idahosa Reiterates Okpebholo’s Promises Of Delivering Edo To Tinubu
Published
4 days agoon
August 19, 2025By
Editor
Edo State deputy governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa on Tuesday reiterated the promise of Governor Monday Okpebholo of delivering the state to President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
The deputy said that the just concluded by-elections in the state was an affirmation of that promised made by his principal.
Idahosa stated this in a press statement sogned by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Friday Aghedo, and made available to newsmen.
He said Okpebholo did not just make the promise of delivery the state to the APC, but that Edo will secure 2.5m votes for the President in 2027.
READ ALSO: Ovia By-election, Litmus Test To APC Success In 2027, Says Edo Deputy Gov
He commended the leadership of the party across Ovia federal constituency for their providing the leadership that made a APC victorious on Saturday.
He, however, noted that there was more room for improvement ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, “after the victory, we called the leadership of the Ovia federal constituency to review and evaluate our performance at the poll, to observe areas where we need to work on next time.
“The bye-election was a litmus test for the 2027 presidential election. We are fully ready.”
READ ALSO: FULL LIST: FG Approves Nine New Private Varsities
Idahosa also used the opportunity to sensitize the people on the ongoing continuous voters registration and revalidation process by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He also reeled out measures in place by the party to get new registered members for the exercise when commenced on Monday.
“We are going to constitute subcommittees to mobilize people who have not yet registered to enable us actualize on the promised votes to the president,” he said.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives member elect, Omosede Igbinedion, promised to deliver on her campaign promises to the people.
READ ALSO:Edo Election: Walter Obaseki Descendants Congratulate Okpebholo, Idahosa On Victory
“Ovia Federal Constituency should expect nothing but the best, in terms of representation and also in terms of developmental strides.
“We will come through, in anything we can do, from the federal level to complement the governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the tremendous work he is doing at the state.
“Ovia is looking very bright. The deputy governor, Dennis Idahosa, has laid a good foundation we will build upon that foundation,” she said.
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