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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Proceedings at the Edo State governorship election tribunal sitting in Abuja were stalled on Wednesday due to the absence of witnesses from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
INEC is the first respondent in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Mr Asue Ighodalo, challenging the victory of Governor Monday Okpegholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 21 September gubernatorial election.
The commission was scheduled to open its defence on Wednesday after the petitioners closed their case on Monday. However, at the resumed hearing, counsel to INEC, Mr Abdullahi Aliyu, informed the tribunal that the five witnesses listed were still en route from Benin City to Abuja.
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Aliyu tendered three documents before the Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member tribunal to show INEC’s readiness to open its case. These included certified true copies of the collation of results at the state level (Form EC8D), the declaration of results, and the regulations and guidelines for conducting elections.
INEC assured the tribunal it would need only one day to conclude its case. Aliyu prayed the tribunal to grant an adjournment, noting the commission’s ten-day timeline for its defence provided sufficient time to open and close its case.
Counsel to Ighodalo, Mr Adetunji Oyeyipo, did not object to the tendering of the documents, noting they were the same documents the PDP had presented to support its claim that the election outcome was flawed.
The tribunal adjourned until Thursday for INEC to call its witnesses.
