Edo 2024 Election: Tribunal Commences Full  Hearing Wednesday

By Simeon OSAJIE

The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal (EPT) has adjourned sitting to Wednesday, January 15, 2025 for the commencement of full hearing on the petition filed by Barr. Asue Ighodalo and his party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the September 21, 2024 election.

The development was sequel to the  application filed by lead counsels to the  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Senator Monday Okpebholo, 1st and 2nd Respondents to the petition, praying the court for the adjournment.

The petitioners, Barr. Ighodalo (1st Petitioner) and the PDP ( 2nd Petitioner) are challenging the declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the poll by INEC.

According to INEC, Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes, defeating PDP’s Ighodalo, who recorded 247,274 votes.

Recall that the Justice Wilfred Kpochi led 3-man ETP had on December 21, adjourned sitting to January 13, 2025 for the hearing on the petition and other petitions before the court following the conclusion of pre-hearing of all petitions.

On resumption of hearing on Monday in Benin, the Assistant Secretary to the Tribunal, Dayo Dahunsi Esq. informed the Court that there was a pending application from the Ist Respondent  and the 2nd Respondent, seeking adjournment of the sitting to Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

He stated that the application was premeditated upon the premise that lead counsels to the two applicants would be before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, January, 2025 in a matter slated for definite hearing.

Dahunsi quoted the applicants to have said that their requests also applied to other petitions against their clients before the Tribunal.

Reacting to the application, Oladipo Oshinowo, who held the brief of the lead counsel of the petitioners, Ken. Mozia SAN, said he was not opposing to application in the spirit of cooperation.

“Though, we are ready and prepared to commence trails today, a copy of the letter seeking for adjournment was to our lead counsel by the registry late yesterday, wherein the 1st and second respondents are seeking for an adjournment.

“We are constrained to concede to this request for adjournment on the strength of the undertaking that such request for adjournment shall not be made by the respondents in future”, he said.

Counsel to the 3rd Respondent (All Progressives Congress), Josephine Ogagaworia, did not object to the application as Justice Kpochi adjourned sitting to Wednesday for actual hearing of the petition.

It would be recalled that the Tribunal Chairman, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, Reading the adopted pre-hearing report at the last sitting on Saturday, December 21, 2024, said parties in the petition filed by Ighodalo agreed to call a total of 290 witnesses. 

He said the report outlined the timeframe for the examination of witnesses, with 40 minutes allocated for examination-in-chief for each star witness, 30 minutes for cross-examination by the petitioners, and 20 minutes for cross-examination by each respondent.

Other agreements reached by the parties include the allocation of 10 minutes for re-examination of each star witness and 25 minutes for examination-in-chief for other ordinary witnesses.

The petitioners are expected to call their witnesses within 21 days or less, while respondents will have 10 days each to call their witnesses. 

According to the report, the tribunal will sit daily from 10 am, except on Sundays and other public holidays gazetted by law.

Justice Kpochi said there shall be no consolidation of the petition with any other as there was no application in respect thereof and no amendment of such shall be entertained.

The chairman said parties agreed to call only witnesses whose statements on oath had been front-loaded and may call subpoenaed witnesses where necessary.

According to him, there shall be interpreter for some witnesses from English to any native language like Benin, Esan, Auchi dialects and vice versa.

He adjourned the hearing to Jan. 3, 2025, following the adoption of the pre-hearing report.