By Sebastine Ebhuomhan
The Elections Petition Tribunal continued the hearing of the Edo State governorship election petitions on Wednesday at the National Judicial Institute (NJI) with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) formally opening its defence in the petition marked: EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, by tendering three documents for admission as evidence.
The candidate of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the election, Asuerinme Akintunde Ighodalo, filed the petition to challenge the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The INEC is the 1st respondent; Governor Okpebholo is the 2nd respondent; the APC is the 3rd respondent.
INEC through its lead counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), tendered the following documents: Form EC8D (the collation sheet of results at state level); the Certified True Copies (CTC) of result sheet; and the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2022.
They were admitted in evidence as Exhibit R1, R2, and R3 without any opposition from the petitioners and other respondents. As observed, the petitioners’ non-opposition was understandably due to the fact that it also tendered the same documents during its prosecution.
INEC said, “To open our defence, we seek your kind permission to tender some documents today and bring our witnesses tomorrow.”
But Tribunal Chairman, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, instead, called on INEC to present its witnesses for testimonies after admitting the documents, to which INEC restated its readiness to line its witnesses up on Thursday because its witnesses were coming from Benin City, Edo State and that they were on the way. It added that although they were allocated 10 days during the pre-trial hearing, which marked its first day, today. It concluded that it does not intend to even use the whole 10 days as it could close its case tomorrow, Thursday.
Justice Kpochi adjourned the petition to tomorrow, Thursday, for the continuation of defence by the 1st respondent.
The day’s hearing lived up to the usual surprises that have become the hallmark of the tribunal, serving judges, counsels, lawyers, observers and the general public the unexpected with the sudden appearance of the PDP candidate, Ighodalo, in court surrounded by a retinue of former government appointees, party leaders, chieftains, loyalists and members with notable absentees being the state party leader, ex-governor Godwin Obaseki; the director-general of Edo PDP Governorship Campaign Committee, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen; and Ighodalo’s chief agent (Obaseki’s Chief of Staff), Osaigbovo Iyoha.
Mr. Ighodalo’s sudden appearance in court turned him into the cynosure of all eyes as the media positioned to interview him after the hearing. He quietly walked away with his lips sealed, a marked difference to the attitude of his party leaders, who have become accustomed to lining up for after-hearing interviews to talk about how their party has already won the petition or why it suddenly abandoned calling more witnesses after the 19th of about 119 it announced at pre-hearing, marked by two forced adjournments for inability to file witness.
Responding in an interview, Edo APC Chairman, Emperor Jarret Tenebe, who led a very strong presence of past and present local, state and federal elected and appointed officials of the party and government, including the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Rt. Hon. Samson Osagie, to the tribunal yet again, said,“It does not need a rocket science to tell anybody where this petition is going. Ighodalo has no case.”
Mr. Sebastine EBHUOMHAN is an award-winning journalist and media consultant from Edo State. He can be reached on: usie007@yahoo.com and 08037204620.
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