Edo election petitions tribunal adjourns until Jan 13

The 2024 Edo Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal has adjourned until Jan. 13, hearing of a petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the victory of Gov. Monday Okpebholo.

The petitioners, Dr Asue Ighodalo and the PDP, are challenging the declaration of Okpebholo as the winner of the Sept. 21 poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to INEC, Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 291,667 votes against PDP’s Ighodalo, who got 247,274 votes.

Justice Wilfred Kpochi, Chairman of the tribunal, adjourned for hearing following the adoption of the pre-hearing report.

In a pre-hearing report adopted on Saturday, the parties agreed to call a total of 290 witnesses.

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 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 would sit daily from 10 am, except on Sundays and other public holidays gazetted by law.