The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal (EPT), yesterday adjourned listening to within the petition filed by candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Asue Ighodalo; and his get together following delay in serving respondents the checklist of witness schedule.
In the course of the resumption of sitting yesterday, when the petition was known as, counsel to the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC), Governor Monday Okpebholo, and All Progressives Congress (APC), Kanu Agabi, SAN, Onyeche Ikpeazu, SAN, and Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, of their oral purposes objected to the petitioners’ quest to go forward and subject witnesses within the continuing.
The three counsels knowledgeable the tribunal that counsel to the petitioners solely served them the witness schedule checklist a couple of minutes earlier than the graduation of proceedings, claiming that the event denied them the time to adequately put together for the cross-examination of the proposed witnesses.
In his argument, Ukala mentioned, “In view of the Tribunal directives on Saturday and settlement reached by events within the petition, that checklist of witness schedule needs to be exchanged by events not less than 24 hours earlier than witnesses are known as for every day.
“We anticipated that the schedule needs to be served on us yesterday (Sunday) by means of electronically or different means however counsel to the petitioners failed to take action.
“We didn’t see any checklist until at about 9:50 am (10 minutes ) earlier than the resumption of listening to this morning. Our understanding of the Tribunal’s earlier directives and the consensus reached by events within the swimsuit to help Your Lordship that no get together is taken unexpectedly.
“This goal is clearly defeated when a listing of witness is served on a celebration jiffy to the graduation of listening to.
“In that circumstance, it’s our humble submission that the petitioners, by their very own selection, rendered proceedings of as we speak unattainable and In these circumstances, we want to say we shall be prepared to return again tomorrow.”
Aligning himself with the submissions of Ukala, counsel to INEC, Agabi, additionally posited: “We’re in the identical predicament my Lord. Our responsibility right here is to help Your Lordships to succeed in a good choice which we can’t do beneath this circumstances.”
Counsel to the 2nd respondent, Ikpeazu additionally adopted the positions of Ukala and Agabi.
Of their response, the petitioners counsel, Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, mentioned the motion to serve the respondents counsel with the checklist of witness schedule on Monday morning was occasioned by risk to their witnesses by the state APC Chairman.
He mentioned, “My Lords, we didn’t intentionally delay the circulation of those witnesses we intend to name as we speak. It was due to the scenario we discovered ourselves as much as yesterday (Sunday) night.
“My Lords, the third respondent state Chairman had made a broadcast on tv and we now have a clip of it the place he threatened to apprehend our witnesses and supporters of PDP within the courtroom premises.
“He particularly mentioned that they (our witnesses) shall be arrested as we speak in courtroom and dare them to indicate up as we speak. We despatched this video to counsel of the third respondent and we didn’t even get assurance of security or safety from them.
“We urge the Tribunal to refuse their purposes for adjournment and permit us to proceed with our witnesses, in any case, they’re simply eight in quantity”, Oyeyipo deposited.
In his ruling, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, upheld arguments of the respondents counsel and adjourned sitting to Tuesday, January 21, 2025 for continuation of listening to, including that the respondents counsel wanted time to organize themselves for the petitioners witness.
