Edo Polls: Tribunal Releases Results of Recounted Ballot Papers

The All Progressives Congress has gallantly cruised to victory in the recounted Edo governorship election ballot papers following a court order.

The Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal has released results of the recounted ballot papers used for the September 28 governorship election according to The Nation. In its ruling on February 9, 2017, the three-man tribunal headed by Justice Ahmed Badamasi granted the prayers of the People’s Democratic Party and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu by ordering the recount of ballot papers in Egor, Akoko-Edo, Etsako West and Etsako East local government areas. The APC won in all the four local government areas where the ballot papers were recounted. However, the ballot papers which held for two days could not be concluded following the expiration of the period given to the petitioners to prove their cases. From the results released, only eight wards were counted in three local government areas while no ballot papers were recounted in Estako East local government.

In the report signed by the Assistant Secretary to the tribunal, Buhari Sani, and given to parties in the case, the recounting exercise was concluded in Wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in Etsako West Local Government Area, Wards 1 and 2 in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area and Ward 1 of Egor Local Government Area. The recounting from Estako West showed that Ward 1 had 1,281 votes, Ward 2 had 1,542 votes, Ward 3 had 1,490 votes, Ward 4 had 1,994 and Ward 5 had 3,025 votes. In Akoko-Edo, Ward 1 had a total of 3,206 and Ward 2 had a total of 3,849 votes. The only ward counted in Egor local government had 3,217 votes. Sani said the recounting stopped at 1pm by the tribunal on the application of Counsel to the Governor Godwin Obaseki. The tribunal resumes sitting on Friday with INEC opening its defence of the case.