The 2024 Edo Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal has adjourned the hearing of a petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party against the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo to January 13, 2025.
The petitioners, Dr. Asue Ighodalo and the PDP, are contesting the declaration of Okpebholo as the winner of the September 21 governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
INEC had announced that Okpebholo, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, secured 291,667 votes to defeat the PDP’s Ighodalo, who garnered 247,274 votes.
The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, adjourned the case for hearing after adopting the pre-hearing report on Saturday.
The pre-hearing report outlined several agreements between the parties, including plans to call a total of 290 witnesses.
It was agreed that star witnesses would be given 40 minutes for examination-in-chief, 30 minutes for cross-examination by the petitioners, and 20 minutes for cross-examination by each respondent. Additionally, 10 minutes would be allocated for the re-examination of each star witness.
For ordinary witnesses, the report specified that they would have 25 minutes for examination-in-chief.
The petitioners are expected to present their witnesses within 21 days or less, while each respondent would have 10 days to call their witnesses.
According to the report, the tribunal will sit daily from 10 a.m., excluding Sundays and gazetted public holidays.
The tribunal’s ruling will mark a significant step in resolving the challenge to Okpebholo’s victory in the 2024 Edo governorship election.
