Edo Election Tribunal: INEC fails to defend rigging allegations

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has sparked controversy after failing to present any witnesses in its defence against allegations of electoral malpractice in the Edo 2024 governorship election.

At the ongoing tribunal, INEC’s legal team formally closed its case without calling a single witness, a move that legal experts say could undermine its position. The commission now relies solely on cross-examinations and arguments from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Monday Okpebholo’s legal teams.

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged the election results, alleging that INEC manipulated the process to favour the APC candidate. The party’s legal team has based its case on provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act, particularly Section 137, which prioritises documentary evidence over oral testimony, and Section 73(2), which mandates the nullification of results where ballot paper and BVAS serial numbers were not pre-recorded.

The tribunal has already admitted key BVAS machines into evidence, which the PDP claims will expose discrepancies in the results. Witnesses, including PDP agents and an expert analyst, have testified about irregularities during collation. Independent election monitors, such as Athena Centre and TAP Initiative, have also backed these claims, raising further doubts about INEC’s credibility.

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By refusing to call witnesses, INEC has left its defence in the hands of the APC and Governor Okpebholo’s lawyers. Analysts warn that this approach could backfire, as the commission now has to contend with its own certified records and BVAS data, which the PDP insists contradict the declared results.

The case has also been fuelled by an undercover investigation by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), which alleged that INEC inflated votes for the APC. As the tribunal progresses, attention will be on how INEC’s decision to remain silent affects the final verdict.