…..Hearing Adjourned To Feb 10, 2025
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has closed its defense after failing to present any witnesses at the Edo state governorship election tribunal, sitting in Abuja.
Kanu Agabi, SAN, lead counsel for the electoral body, told the Tribunal that it would not produce any witness to testify, in defense of its declaration of Monday Okpebholo as winner of the Governorship Election in Edo State, held in September 2024.
The Commission had earlier told the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led panel, that it had a line-up of five witnesses that would give evidence to persuade the tribunal to adjourn the case till Thursday, as the witnesses would come to Abuja from Benin, Edo State.
However, at the resumed proceeding, on Thursday, Agabi, said his team shelved the idea of bringing witnesses, after it reviewed the case.
Following the absence of INEC witnesses and closure of their case, Counsels to Governor Okpebholo, Onyechi Ikpeazu, and that of the APC, did not oppose INEC’s decision and pleaded for an adjournment to enable them gather their Witnesses and open their cases respectively.
The three-man panel adjourned the matter till Monday for governor Okpebholo to open his defence to the petition.
INEC had declared that Okpebholo of the APC secured a total of 291, 667 votes to defeat his closet rivalry, Ighodalo of the PDP, who got a total of 247, 655 votes.
The petitioners are challenging INEC’s declaration and the outcome of the September 21,2024 governorship election.
(Editor : Ena Agbanoma)
