After calling only one witness, Governor Monday Okpebholo on Monday closed his case before the Edo Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
The petitioner, Asue Ighodalo, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21, last year governorship election, last week closed his case after calling 19 witnesses.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has also closed its case without calling any witnesses.
The PDP and Ighodalo are challenging the declaration of Okpebholo, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The petitioners are alleging over-voting, non-serialisation of electoral materials and incorrect computation of results by the INEC, acts they claimed were in favour of the APC.
Okpebholo’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), had earlier indicated his client’s intention to call six witnesses, but he ended up calling only one.
The witness, Majek Osumah, from Ward 7, Unit 4, Ovia Southwest Local Government, testified that the election was conducted under a peaceful atmosphere.
Osumah, however, noted that the result of Ward 7, Unit 4, was cancelled due to over-voting.
He claimed to have worked as a polling unit agent, adding that in Form EC8B, the column for the result of his unit had no record.
The witness stated that the result was cancelled when it was discovered that there was over-voting.
Osumah said there were complaints and protests, following which the Ward Collation Officer agreed to cancel the results.
After his testimony, Ikpeazu announced the closure of the second respondent’s case.
APC’s lawyer, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), sought an adjournment to a later date to enable his client to open its defence.
Justice Wilfred Kpochi, who is the Chairman of the three-member tribunal, adjourned till Wednesday 11th, February 2025 for the APC to open its defence.