The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, presided over by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, has adjourned the hearing of petitions filed by Asue Ighodalo and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to Friday, January 17, 2025. The adjournment follows a motion by the petitioners’ lead counsel, Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, seeking more time for the parties to attend a pre-hearing meeting with the court registry to discuss the presentation of election documents.
Oyeyipo, represented by Ken Mozia, assured the court that the petitioners are prepared to submit well-organized documents used in the election, which would streamline the proceedings. However, the respondents’ counsels, including Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, representing Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), along with Emmanuel Ukala SAN and Kanu Agabi SAN, opposed the motion, arguing that the documents should have been filed prior to the hearing.
In the same session, the tribunal heard testimony from a key witness for the petitioners, 70-year-old Victoria Ogbebor, who served as a unit agent for Dr. Bright Enabulele, the Accord Party candidate, in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area. Ogbebor claimed irregularities during the election but struggled to recall Enabulele’s name when questioned by the defense.
Two other witnesses, Zakaria Wisdom Yahaya and Daisy Nwanchukwu, also provided testimony. Yahaya, a polling unit agent in Akoko-Edo, highlighted alleged election irregularities, including ballot stuffing. Nwanchukwu, a polling unit agent in Oredo, revealed that she did not receive an agent card from INEC, a point questioned by the respondents’ lawyers.
As the tribunal proceedings continue, Ighodalo, candidate for the PDP, expressed confidence in the judiciary’s ability to restore his mandate. He thanked the people of Edo State for their overwhelming support during the September 2024 election and for their patience in the face of challenges over the past three months.
The petitioners, including the PDP, Accord Party, Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP), have all filed petitions challenging the declaration of Governor Okpebholo as the winner of the 2024 governorship election, in which he secured 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who garnered 247,274 votes.
The next session of the tribunal is scheduled for Friday, January 17, 2025, after the pre-hearing meeting on Thursday, January 16.
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