In order to decide on the matter of alleged overvoting that is said to have occurred in Nkanu East Local Government Area during the state’s March 18 governorship elections, the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked the Enugu Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal to rely on the certified true copies of BVAS data presented by candidate of the Labour Party.
Contrary to what was stated in the subpoena issued by the Tribunal on Saturday, INEC failed to bring some of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems (BiVAS) machines used for the Owoh and Ugbawka areas in Nkanu East. INEC requested that the copies of the commission’s documents provided to the Labour Party and presented as evidence in court be accepted as reliable proof.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu, was allegedly ignored pleas to enable a forensic investigation of the BiVAS machines in violation of a legally issued subpoena, according to Edeoga, who concluded his case at the tribunal on Sunday. Edeoga had petitioned the Chairman of INEC.
In response to many attempts to evade the subpoena issued on June 26, 2023, the tribunal on Saturday issued an oral subpoena requiring INEC to attend on Sunday with the BiVAS devices.
The official who represented INEC in court and went by the name of Mr. Eze Okafor failed to provide the 10 BiVAS machines as requested by the tribunal; as a result, the tribunal was forced to rely on the evidence provided by the Labour Party and its candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, to determine whether there was overvoting in the impacted areas.
Only five BiVAS machines were claimed to have been used to certify voters in Igbo Eze North Local Government Area when INEC arrived at the tribunal as early as 9.00 am on Sunday. However, even those five machines that were presented were either empty or had already been clocked, making it impossible for the forensic expert to conduct the anticipated examination of the machines.
In its appeal, the Labour Party had claimed that the number of votes cast for Nkanu had increased from around 15,000 accredited voters to 32,000, or more than 16,000 additional votes. In instances where overvoting is confirmed, the Electoral Act allows for the annulment of votes.
Following the announcement of Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the victor of the state’s March 18, 2023, governorship elections, Chijioke Edeoga moved the tribunal in search of redress.
Five reasons were given by Edeoga in his petition to prove that he was the duly chosen candidate.
His petition cites, among other things, allegations of voter suppression in the Udenu and Enugu South Local Government Areas as well as the purported forging of the NYSC discharge certificate.
Others include suspected overvoting in various Nkanu East Local Government Area voting districts and other types of irregularities in Igbo Eze North Local Council voting districts.
In response to many attempts to evade the subpoena issued on June 26, 2023, the tribunal on Saturday issued an oral subpoena requiring INEC to attend on Sunday with the BiVAS devices.
The official who represented INEC in court and went by the name of Mr. Eze Okafor failed to provide the 10 BiVAS machines as requested by the tribunal; as a result, the tribunal was forced to rely on the evidence provided by the Labour Party and its candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, to determine whether there was overvoting in the impacted areas.
Only five BiVAS machines were claimed to have been used to certify voters in Igbo Eze North Local Government Area when INEC arrived at the tribunal as early as 9.00 am on Sunday. However, even those five machines that were presented were either empty or had already been clocked, making it impossible for the forensic expert to conduct the anticipated examination of the machines.
In its appeal, the Labour Party had claimed that the number of votes cast for Nkanu had increased from around 15,000 accredited voters to 32,000, or more than 16,000 additional votes. In instances where overvoting is confirmed, the Electoral Act allows for the annulment of votes.
Following the announcement of Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the victor of the state’s March 18, 2023, governorship elections, Chijioke Edeoga moved the tribunal in search of redress.
Five reasons were given by Edeoga in his petition to prove that he was the duly chosen candidate.
His petition cites, among other things, allegations of voter suppression in the Udenu and Enugu South Local Government Areas as well as the purported forging of the NYSC discharge certificate.
Others include suspected overvoting in various Nkanu East Local Government Area voting districts and other types of irregularities in Igbo Eze North Local Council voting districts.
