Edo tribunal admits BVAS data as PDP challenges over-voting claims

The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has admitted Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines into evidence as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenges the September 21 election results. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) submitted the devices following a subpoena after initially declining to release them voluntarily. PDP alleges that the election was marred by over-voting, arguing that results announced by INEC exceeded the number of accredited voters in several polling units. The BVAS machines are expected to provide critical accreditation data to verify these claims. A PDP witness from Akoko Edo, who served as a ward 9 collation agent, testified that results at the ward level differed from those uploaded on INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IREV). “I refused to sign the ward collation result sheet because it did not align with the polling unit records,” he told the Tribunal. Another witness from Oredo Local Government presented evidence suggesting that the final results declared in Ward 1 did not match polling unit records or data on IREV. The Tribunal accepted certified true copies (CTCs) of these documents, which PDP claims highlight discrepancies in the results. Legal experts suggest that the admission of BVAS machines represents a major boost to PDP’s case. “BVAS is the primary source of accreditation data, as affirmed by the Supreme Court,” a legal analyst stated. Governor Monday Okpebholo and the All Progressives Congress (APC) legal team are expected to scrutinize the BVAS data closely as they prepare their defense. The Tribunal’s findings will be crucial in determining whether the PDP’s allegations of over-voting are substantiated.