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Edo Governorship Tribunal Stalls As INEC Witnesses Fail to Appear

Published

2 months ago

Feb 5, 2025.

INEC witnesses absent, delaying Edo governorship tribunal proceedings.
Tribunal criticizes INEC for wasting a full day’s session.
INEC submits documents but seeks adjournment to present witnesses.

Proceedings at the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja were stalled on Wednesday following the absence of witnesses from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the tribunal is currently hearing a petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, challenging the outcome of the September 21, 2024, governorship election, which declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner.

At the resumed hearing, INEC’s counsel, Abdullahi Aliyu, informed the three-member tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, that the five witnesses scheduled to testify were still en route from Benin City to Abuja and could not appear in court as planned.

Despite the absence of the witnesses, INEC attempted to demonstrate its readiness to defend the election results by tendering three key documents before the tribunal:

Certified True Copies of the Collation of Results at the State Level (Form EC8D)
Declaration of Results Form
Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022

However, Justice Kpochi faulted INEC’s handling of the case, stating that an entire day had been wasted due to the commission’s lack of preparation.

Aliyu, on behalf of INEC, pleaded for an adjournment, arguing that the commission still had ten days within which to present its defence and would require only one day to conclude its case.

PDP’s counsel, Adetunji Oyeyipo, did not oppose the submission of the documents but pointed out that the same documents had earlier been tendered by the PDP to support claims that the election was flawed.

Edo Governorship Tribunal

Following the development, the tribunal adjourned the hearing until Thursday to allow INEC to present its witnesses.

The PDP and its candidate, Ighodalo, are seeking to invalidate Okpebholo’s victory, arguing that the election was conducted in violation of the Electoral Act, 2022. They insist that Okpebholo did not secure the highest number of lawful votes and have urged the tribunal to declare the election results null and void.