Edo Poll Tribunal: Ighodalo, PDP, Okpebholo, APC, INEC to call 290 witnesses

The election petition tribunal sitting in Benin City has disclosed that Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the All Progressives Congress, APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and Governor Monday Okpebholo will be calling 290 witnesses during the hearing of their petition.

The tribunal is adjudicating on the declaration of Monday Okpebholo, the candidate of APC winner of the last September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State by Asue Ighodalo, the PDP candidate.

Asue Ighodalo and his party, PDP are challenging the declaration of Monday Okpebholo and his party winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

the chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice Wilfred Ikpochi disclosed this at the weekend during the presentation of the pre-hearing reports and scheduling to parties in the petition.

Ikpochi did not, however, give the breakdown of the number of witnesses that each of the petitioners and respondents would call during the trial.

He said the 290 witnesses were proposed by the parties in the harmonized proposal for the pre-hearing conference.

He said the parties will only call witnesses whose statements on oath have been frontloaded and subpoenaed witnesses where necessary.

The court added that the petitioners shall call their witnesses within 21 days or less while each of the respondents shall be allowed 10 days or less to call their witnesses.

“The parties may call expert witnesses as indicated in their pre-hearing answers.

“All pleading documents shall be rendered and admitted by the tribunal while objections thereto shall be filled separately during final addresses. Objections to such documents during trial shall be noted and rulings reserved appropriately, “he said.

He also added that all frivolous and unnecessary applications for adjournments shall not be granted by the tribunal as the election petitions are time-bound.

According to him, whenever, it becomes very expedient to fast-track the proceedings, the tribunal shall bridge the time for doing anything in accordance with the rules as prescribed by the Electoral Act 2022.

Justice Kpochi, further added that on no account should any written address filed by counsel be more than 40 pages.

He said the address should be of double spacing format with 14 font size.

He, however, advised all counsel to imbibe the spirit of good brief writing in compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022.

Others presented in the reports by the tribunal are that there shall be no consolidation of the petition with any other petition as there was no application in respect thereof and there shall be no amendment of amendment as none is required.

“There shall be no further particulars or admissions save the application by the petitioners for interrogatories directed to the INEC, Monday Okpebholo as first and second respondents requesting for particulars articulated in the copies of the proposed interrogatories that have been filed along with the application in motion No-EPT/ED/GOV/02/M10/2024 filed on December 6, 2024, that has been granted.

The tribunal chairman, who adjourned to January 13, 2025, for hearing, said the court shall be sitting from day to day from 10am except on Sundays and other public holidays gazetted by law.

He, however, stated that the sitting period is subject to reviews as the exigencies of the workload permit.