The Justice Wilfred Kpochi led three-man 2024 Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal (EPT), on Wednesday commenced full listening to on the seven petitions difficult the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as winner of the 2024 Edo State Governorship Election.
This was simply because the EPT has adjourned listening to on petition filed by the Dr. Asue Ighodalo and his get together Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to January 17, 2024, with the intention to allow events within the petition have a pre-hearing assembly with the Courtroom Registry on Thursday on the way in which to go about presentation of paperwork by the petitioners’
The Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC), it might be recalled, had on the finish of the September 21, 2024, election, declared Okpebholo because the winner with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo of the PDP, who recorded 247,274 votes..
Not happy with INEC’s declaration, the petitioners, Asue Ighodalo, PDP, Accord Party (AP), Allied Peoples Motion (APM), Motion Democratic Party (ADP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), dragged INEC, Okpebholo and the APC earlier than the court docket to problem the declaration and conduct of the election.
Upon the graduation of listening to on Wednesday, the candidate of the Accord Party, Dr. Vivid Enabulele, by his counsel, J.A. Dagher opened his case with the presentation of three witnesses in help of his petition.
Prosecution Witness 1(PW1), Mr. Zakaria Knowledge Yahaya, adopted his witness assertion and prayed the court docket to depend on it in help of the petitioner’s case.
Yahaya by his assertion on oath informed the court docket that the conduct of the ballot in his Polling Unit 28, Ward 8, in Akoko-Edo Native the place he functioned as polling Unit agent for his Party (AC), had been married with irregularities to wit ballots stuffing.
When cross examined by counsel to the first to third Respondents (Governor Okpebholo, APC and INEC), Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, and Abdullahi Aliyu, SAN, respectively, the PW1 informed the court docket that he additionally functioned as Ward Agent for his half.
Additionally testified earlier than the court docket was Daisy Nwanchukwu who claimed to have functioned as polling Unit Agent in Oredo Unit 9, Ward 3.
When requested if he was given an agent card by INEC to operate within the election, the witness answered within the adverse.
For the 70 years outdated PW3, Victoria Ogbebor, she said in her witness assertion that she acted as a unit agent in Unit 32 for her get together in Ikpoba-Okha Native Authorities Space through the election.
When requested by Aliyu if she is aware of one Dr. Vivid Enabulele (AP candidate within the election), the witness mentioned that she might know the identify.
The case was nevertheless adjourned to Thursday (in the present day) for continuation of listening to.
The EPT, nevertheless, adjourned listening to on petition filed by the Ighodalo and his get together PDP to January 17, 2024 so as it allow events within the petition have a pre-hearing assembly with the Courtroom Registry on Thursday on the way in which to go about presentation of paperwork by the petitioners’
When the matter was known as for listening to on Wednesday, Ken Mozia, SAN, who held the transient of the petitioners’ s lead counsel, Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, informed the court docket that his shoppers had been able to tender rigorously organized paperwork used within the conduct of the election.
He maintained that the doc set to tender from the bar had been organized very effectively to make all the course of seamless for events earlier than the court docket.
However counsel to Governor Okpebholo, APC and INEC, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, Emmanuel Ukala SAN, and Kanu Agabi, SAN, opposed the submission of the petitioners’ counsel, sustaining that the paperwork ought to have been filed earlier than the court docket earlier than similar might be admitted as reveals.
Chatting with journalists shortly after the court docket adjustment, Ighodalo expressed confidence within the judiciary to reclaim his mandate.
He counseled the individuals of the state for his or her overwhelming votes through 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 retaining religion with us.
“The have been very calm within the face of intimidation, harassment within the final three months within the state.
“We strongly imagine that the judiciary will do the proper factor, and we’re wanting ahead to the end result of the Tribunal proceedings”, Ighodalo said.
