The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday adjourned listening to on Asue Ighodalo and the Peoples Democratic Occasion’s petitions to Friday, January 17, 2025, to allow events within the swimsuit to have a pre-hearing assembly with the courtroom registry on the best way to go about presentation of paperwork by the petitioners.
DAILY POST studies that the Justice Wilfred Kpochi- led three-man adjourned listening to of the petition on Friday, January 17, 2025.
Justice Kpochi slated Thursday, January 16, 2025 for the events within the petition to have a pre-hearing assembly with the courtroom registry.
The adjournment of the petitions adopted the movement by Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, petitioners’ lead counsel, that his purchasers had been able to tender rigorously organized paperwork used within the conduct of the election.
Oyeyipo represented by Ken Mozia instructed the courtroom that the paperwork set to tender from the bar had been organized in a option to make your entire course of seamless for events earlier than the courtroom.
Nevertheless, counsel to Governor Monday Okpebholo, APC and INEC, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, Emmanuel Ukala SAN, and Kanu Agabi, SAN, respectively, opposed the movement of the petitioners’ counsel.
The trio averred that the paperwork ought to have be filed earlier than the courtroom earlier than similar could be admitted as reveals.
In the meantime, because the tribunal absolutely commenced listening to of petitions earlier than it, a 70 years outdated Victoria Ogbebor testified for Dr Brilliant Enabulele the candidate of Accord Occasion, AP.
The 70-year-old witness instructed the tribunal that she acted as a unit agent in Unit 32 for her social gathering in Ikpoba-Okha Native Authorities Space throughout the election.
When requested by the respondents counsel if she knew Enabulele, she mentioned that she might know the title.
The counsel to the petitioner, J.A. Dagher, additionally referred to as two different witnesses.
The 2 different witnesses are Mr.Zakaria Knowledge Yahaya and Daisy Nwanchukwu.
Yahaya in his witness assertion prayed the courtroom to depend on it in help of the petitioner’s case.
He instructed the courtroom that the conduct of the election in his Polling Unit 28, Ward 8, in Akoko-Edo Native Authorities Space the place he functioned as a polling unit agent for the social gathering, AP had been married with irregularities equivalent to ballots stuffing.
When cross examined by Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, and Abdullahi Aliyu, SAN, counsel to the first to third respondents, the witness additionally instructed the courtroom that he functioned as ward agent for his social gathering.
The third witness for the petitioners Daisy Nwanchukwu instructed the tribunal that she functioned as a polling Unit agent in Oredo Unit 9, Ward 3.
Nwanchukwu, when requested by the respondents if she was given an agent card by INEC to operate within the election, answered within the destructive.
The tribunal adjourned continuation of listening to to Thursday, January 16, 2025.
Nevertheless, talking with journalists shortly after the adjournment, Ighodalo, candidate of Peoples Democratic Occasion, expressed confidence within the judiciary of reclaiming his mandate.
Ighodalo additionally recommended the individuals of the state for his or her overwhelming votes throughout the governorship election.
“I need to use this chance to commend the individuals of Edo State for popping out en masse to vote for us on September 21, 2024 and for holding religion with us.
“They’ve been very calm within the face of intimidation, harassment within the final three months within the state.
“We strongly consider that the judiciary will do the appropriate factor and we’re wanting ahead to the end result of the Tribunal proceedings”, he acknowledged.
DAILY POST studies that seven petitions difficult the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo as winner of the 2024 Edo State Governorship Election had been filed earlier than the tribunal.
The petitioners are Asue Ighodalo, Peoples Democratic Occasion, PDP, Accord Occasion, AP, Allied Peoples Motion, APM, Motion Democratic Occasion, ADP, Zenith Labour Occasion, ZLP, and the Social Democratic Occasion, SDP.
DAILY POST remembers that the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee, INEC, had on September 22, 2024, declared Senator Monday Okpebholo Okpebholo, the APC candidate winner of the election with 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival Dr Asue Ighodalo of PDP, who polled 247,274 votes.
