The proceedings at the Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja faced delays on Wednesday due to the absence of witnesses from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
INEC is the first respondent in a case brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Mr. Asue Ighodalo. The petition challenges the results of the gubernatorial election held on September 21 in Edo State.
The tribunal was set to hear INEC’s defense on Wednesday after the petitioners concluded their case on Monday. However, during the session, INEC’s counsel, Mr. Abdullahi Aliyu, informed the tribunal that the five witnesses scheduled to testify were en route to Abuja from Benin City.
In an effort to demonstrate INEC’s commitment to the proceedings, Aliyu presented three documents to the tribunal, chaired by Justice Wilfred Kpochi. These included certified true copies of the state-level result collation (Form EC8D), the official declaration of results, and the regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections in 2022.
Aliyu assured the tribunal that INEC would require only one day to complete its case. However, Justice Kpochi criticized the commission’s handling of the situation, stating that the day had been unproductively spent.
The INEC counsel requested an adjournment, noting that the commission had been allocated a ten-day window to present its defense and had ample time to prepare. Meanwhile, Mr. Adetunji Oyeyipo, representing Ighodalo, did not oppose the submission of the documents, acknowledging that they were the same ones previously submitted by the PDP to support their claims of electoral irregularities.
The tribunal has adjourned the session until Thursday, when INEC is expected to call its witnesses.
