Edo guber tussle: Tribunal adjourns as INEC fails to present witnesses  

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday failed to call any witness to defend the outcome of the governorship election it conducted in Edo State on September 21, 2024.

It will be recalled that INEC had declared that Monday Okpebholo of the APC secured a total of 291, 667 votes to defeat his closet rivalry, Asue Ighodalo of the PDP, who got a total of 247, 655 votes.

Irked by the outcome of the poll, the PDP and its candidate approached the tribunal to challenge his victory.

At the ruling, the electoral body, through its team of lawyers led by a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, told the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja that it would not produce any witness to testify on its behalf.

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This disclosure was made barely 24 hours after the Commission told the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member panel tribunal that it had a line-up of five witnesses that would give evidence to support the result it declared in favour of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), who is the 2nd Respondent in the case.

INEC persuaded the tribunal to adjourn the case till Thursday, stressing that the witnesses would come to Abuja from Benin, Edo State.

However, at the resumed sitting, INEC’s lead counsel, Agabi, SAN, said his team shelved the idea of bringing witnesses, after it reviewed the case.

“My lords, after we left you yesterday (Wednesday), we gave more thought to the matter and came to the conclusion that the sensible thing to do is to close the case of the 1st Respondent, which we hereby do,” Agabi, SAN, told the tribunal.

On their part, the PDP and its candidate Ighodalo, said they were not surprised by the development.

“Frankly speaking, we are not surprised and it is well within the right of the 1st Respondent to show such a good discretion. We are not objecting,” the petitioners’ counsel, Mr. Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, stated.

Both Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, who appeared for Governor Okpebholo and Mr. D. C. Dewigwe, who represented the APC, said they were not opposed to INEC’s decision.

Consequently, the panel adjourned the matter till Monday, February 10 for governor Okpebholo to open his defence to the petition.