… Okpebholo sacks Attorney General amidst escalating Tribunal drama and deepening crisis within party
Tension has continued to mount in Edo State Government House and within the Edo State APC as uncertainty hangs over Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration following unexpected twists at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja. The Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to tender BVAS machines as evidence under pressure has rattled the ruling party.
In addition, INEC’s refusal to call witnesses to defend the election results, widely believed to have been manipulated in favour of Governor Okpebholo, has intensified fears and uncertainty within the government.
Observers familiar with legal proceedings are baffled by INEC’s failure to present witnesses, especially in a case where the agency itself conducted the disputed election. The documents submitted before the Tribunal are officially certified as true copies riddled with glaring errors, omissions, and inconsistencies that are clearly indefensible. Any witness called to testify would face the dauntingh task of explaining these discrepancies under cross-examination, a scenario likely to expose contradictions and undermine their credibility further.
Ighodalo’s petition challenges the election on grounds of over-voting, non serialization of Ballot papers, and inaccuracies in collation of results. Legal experts argue that even a rookie lawyer could easily dismantle INEC’s defence by highlighting the self-evident flaws in their certified documents and the BVAS machines submitted as evidence. This situation not only threatens to invalidate the declared results but could definitely pave the way for a ruling in favour of the petitioners.
Inside sources reveal that Governor Okpebholo and his allies in Edo APC are deeply unsettled by the tribunal’s direction, particularly INEC’s unexpected compliance in presenting the BVAS machines. The growing tension within the administration has already led to a significant fallout. The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Samson Osagie, has been sacked with insiders claiming the Governor felt betrayed by Osagie’s mishandling of the whole tribunal affairs
As the tribunal continues, the uncertainty surrounding the legitimacy of Okpebholo’s administration looms large, leaving the Edo State government teetering on the brink of exit.
