In a statement made available to newsmen, Edo APC Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, accused the PDP of planning the protest to influence the ongoing governorship election tribunal.

He called on security agencies, including the Police, Department of State Services, and Nigerian Army, to very be vigilant and take necessary measures to prevent a potential disruption of the Office of the Attorney General by supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo.

The development came just hours after the Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal reserved judgment on the petition filed by the PDP and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, challenging the outcome of the September 21, 2024, governorship election, which APC’s Governor Monday Okpebholo won.

Read Also: INEC to start calling witnesses Thursdayover Edo Election

However, PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, dismissed the APC’s claims as most unfortunate.

He confirmned that the PDP planned to hold a rally in Abuja, but criticised the APC for attempting to misrepresent their intentions adding that the  APC and its agents have become a propaganda machine.

While defending the rally’s purpose, Osadolor added that the rally they are having is a peaceful one and what they  are trying to say is that what happened in Edo must not be allowed to stand in a democracy  to avoid strife in this country. 

Osadolor further called on President Bola Tinubu to caution the Edo APC leadership.

Meanwhile, the Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal reserved judgment on the petition filed by the PDP and its governorship candidate, Ighodalo.

After taking arguments from the parties involved, the tribunal reserved judgment, with the date to be communicated to the parties.

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Recall that Rédíò Afínju earlier reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announced Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the election held across the 18 local government areas of the state.

Read Also: Okpebholo Sworn-In As Edo State Governor

Not satisfied with the declaration, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate in the election, Asue Ighodalo, challenged the INEC’s declaration of Okpebholo as the winner.

The PDP counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko, one of the witnesses, Kennedy Osifo, tendered agents’ copies of the election results for 76 polling units in Ward II of the Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the state, where he alleged four electoral irregularities.

He alleged that the irregularities were observed when the agents’ copies were examined alongside the certified true copies of the results of the BVAS accreditation report obtained from the INEC’s IREV portal.

He further hinted that the inconsistency had been stated in his witness statement on oath and urged the tribunal to adopt in evidence in the case.

PDP local government collation officer in the poll, Osifo, accused INEC of relying on incorrect scores to announce the final result of the election.

When cross-examined, Osifo said his testimonies were based strictly on the two documents and not on contacts with the agents.

Another witness, Adebayo Ogedegbe, alleged irregularities in 45 units across Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state.

In 41 of these units, Ogedegbe, who claimed to be the party collation officer for the local government, testified that INEC computed incorrect scores that negated the records in the certified true copies.

The witness alleged overvoting in four units, seeking to tender the agents’ copies of the results of the units in evidence to corroborate his claims.

For Owan West Local Government Area, Lucky Aroye tendered agents’ copies of results in nine units where he also alleged overvoting.

Aroye said there were no prior recordings of sensitive materials in seven units of the local government area, urging the INEC to adopt his statement on oath as evidence in the case.

When asked if the witness visited all the units in the local government as the collation officer, he said there was no way he could have done that, considering their number.

APC and INEC counsels Kalu Agabi, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, and Emmanuel Ukala objected to the allegations of the tendered documents but reserved their grounds to the final written addresses.

The tribunal chairman, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, said the documents were provisionally admitted in evidence and adjourned the sitting until today for the continuation of the hearing

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