Politics

Edo Election Dispute: INEC Tenders BVAS Devices In Petition By PDP, Ighodalo

Published

10 months ago

February 3, 2025

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.

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.

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.

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.

Politics

PDP Issues Certificate Of Expulsion To Wike, Fayose, Anyanwu, Others

Published

1 day ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it has issued certificate of expulsion from the party to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other 10 members earlier expelled from the party.

The party National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen after the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

The other members, according to him, include the embattled National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, the Legal Adviser, Kamarudeen Ajibade, former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.

They also included Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah Nnanna, George Turna and Chief Dan Orbih, expelled during the party National convention in Lagos.

Turaki said that the original copies of the certificate had been dispatched to the owners through a courier service to serve as proof that they were expelled from the PDP.

“We have taken note of the fact that Nigerian law frowns on dual membership of political parties, and so we have sought to make it easy for them.

“Now that they are no longer members of our party, and now that the National Convention, which is the highest decision-making organ of our party, has expelled them, we have decided to issue them certificates of expulsion.

“So, when they go to register with other political parties in Nigeria, they will show these certificates as proof that they are no longer members of the PDP.

“By that, those parties will not accuse them of trying to belong to more than one political party,” he said.

He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services, and other government agencies, to take note.

“Very soon, members of the society will be informed via proper disclaimers that any person henceforth who decides to do business with them, any or all of them, does so at his or her own risk.

“They are no longer members of the PDP. They have been expelled,” he added.

He added that the NWC also reviewed some of the cases filed against the party and lawsuits instituted by the party, particularly the one that related to the “unlawful and illegal” closure of the party’s national Secretariat, the Legacy House, and the Wadata Plaza.

“The brief we received from our lawyers is that we are on sound ground, and that very soon, the law will take its course,” he said.

Turaki said the NWC was prepared to be saddled with the responsibility of performing its functions as the leading opposition party in Nigeria.

“We are going to provide a credible alternative to Nigerians. We are going to provide credible leadership to Nigerians by the special grace of God from 2027,” he said.

Politics

Adebayo Adedamola Wins Osun PDP Governorship Primary

Published

3 days ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, popularly known as FRYO, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the August 8, 2026 governorship election in Osun State.

The primary election took place in Osogbo on Tuesday amid heavy security presence.

Announcing the result, chairman of the primary election committee, Humphrey Abba, stated that Adebayo secured 919 votes out of 957 accredited ballots, giving him a clear victory in the contest.

Explaining that there were 20 void votes following the withdrawal of one of the candidates, believed to be Governor Ademola Adeleke, Abba added, “The candidate that got the remaining votes is Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes and he stands elected and returned.”

DAILY POST reports that despite announcing his resignation from the party, Adeleke’s name appeared on the ballot paper for the PDP governorship primary.

Party officials said the exercise was conducted in accordance with established guidelines, with accredited delegates participating in the voting process.

Adeleke announced his resignation in a letter dated November 4, 2025, and addressed to the PDP leadership at his ward.

On Monday, Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, had announced that the governorship primary slated for Tuesday, December 2, 2025, has been postponed due to leadership crisis at the national level.

But a faction of the party went ahead with the exercise in Osogbo on Tuesday.

Politics

Gov Adeleke Resigns From PDP

Published

3 days ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial primaries of the party.

Adeleke’s resignation letter, dated November 4, 2025, sighted by Tribune Online was addressed to the PDP ward chairman for Ward 2, Sagba Abogunde, Ede, Osun State.

According to the letter, the governor’s resignation was based on “the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).”

According to the letter, titled: “Resignation of my membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’ read, “Due to the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my Membership of the People’s Democratic Party with immediate effect.

“I thank the People’s Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as a Senator (Represented Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State under the People’s Democratic Party.”