AGENE GODWIN, Benin
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will on Tuesday formally open its defence at the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal about its role in the 2016 governorship election.
INEC defense before the three-member tribunal chaired by Justice Ahmed Badamasi is coming on the hills of the PDP and its candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu’s closure of its defense last Friday.
The Commission had declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, winner of the poll, saying he secured a total of 319,483 votes as against the 253,173 scored by Ize-Iyamu.
But the PDP and its governorship candidate in the petition before the tribunal, with INEC as the 1st respondent, is seeking to be declared the rightful winner based on the valid and lawful votes cast in the election.
The 2nd and 3rd respondents respectively are Mr Godwin Obaseki and the All Progressives Congress, APC, which have since the tribunal started sitting, been aligning with the Commission.
Witnesses to be brought by the INEC are expected to be presiding officers and electoral officers from the many different polling units in local government areas in line with the allegations made by the PDP and its candidate.
The commission may also be presenting documents it used in the polling units for the election such as the ballot papers, the result sheets and the voters registers.
INEC will also be seeking to justify that the elections were free, fair and credible and held peacefully in line with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.
