Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, Sitting in Benin, on Thursday, reserved rulings in the Motion on Notice, seeking to dismiss the petitions filed by Mr Akhimie Kingston Afeare and Bishop Akhalamhe Amiemenoghena, against declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo, as winner of September 21 election in Edo.
Akhimie and Akhalamhe, candidates of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the election in their petitions dated and filed marked EPT/ED/GOV/06/2024 and EPT/ED/GOV/07/2024, are challenging the conduct of the election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Okpebholo, and All Progressives Congress (APC), 1st to 3rd respondents earlier in their opposition to the petitions filed Motions on Notice before the Tribunal.
Justice Wilfred Kpochi led three-man Tribunal reserved rulings to the judgment stage of the main petitions after lawyers to the parties in the suit had adopted their written briefs supported by various paragraphs of affidavits.
Lead counsel to the trio applicants, Abdullahi Aliyu SAN, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, and Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, urged the Tribunal to grant their applications and the reliefs sought therein in the applications.
But counsel to the petitioners’, Wisdom Isaac, Esq, prayed the court to dismiss the applications and confine same to the dustbin of history, claiming the applications lack merit.
While reserving ruling to a later date, Justice Kpochi adjourned the sitting to Monday, January 21, Tuesday for the issuance of Pre-hearing Report to parties in the suit.
Similarly, the 3-man Election Petition Tribunal, also reserved rulings in the applications filed by INEC, Okpebholo, and APC, challenging the competency of the petitions filed by candidates of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Anerua Abdulai Aliu and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) against the election to judgment stage of the petitions.
This was after counsel to the applicants, Abdullahi Aliyu, SAN, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, and Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, and the Petitioners, Jackson Ehiavbi, Esq. have presented their briefs, supported by various paragraphs affidavits, and adopted same.
In another development, the court also adjourned hearing in the petition filed by candidate of the Acord Party (AP), Dr. Bright Enabulele, against INEC’s declaration of Okpebholo as winner of the September 21, 2024 poll at the instance of the petitioners.
When the case was called on Thursday, counsel to the petitioners, Joel Tagher, told the court that one of the last two witnesses of his clients was ill, hence he could not make it to court.
When told to call the other witness, Tagher informed the Tribunal that witness was on subpoena and not in court,
He, therefore, prayed the court for adjournment.
Grating the prayer of the petitioners which was not objected to by the respondents, Justice Wilfred Kpochi adjourned the case to Tuesday, January 21, for the continuation of hearing.
It be recalled that the petitioners who opened their cases on Wednesday, have called three witnesses out of the five witnesses scheduled to testify in their favour.
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