The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has scheduled full hearings for Wednesday, January 15, 2025, on the petition filed by Asue Ighodalo and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The petition challenges the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the September 21, 2024, gubernatorial election.
The New Daily Prime earlier reported that Farouk Adamu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer declared Okpebholo a a winner.
Adamu said Okpebholo, a serving senator at that time scored 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ighodalo who polled 247,274 votes.
The hearing adjournment came after INEC and Governor Okpebholo, the 1st and 2nd respondents in the case, filed an application requesting a postponement.
Ighodalo and the PDP are disputing INEC’s declaration of Okpebholo as the winner of the election.
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The tribunal, presided over by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, had initially adjourned proceedings on December 21, 2024, to Monday, January 13, 2025, after completing pre-hearing sessions.
However, at Monday’s resumed sitting in Benin City, the tribunal’s Assistant Secretary, Dayo Dahunsi, presented a fresh application from the respondents requesting a further adjournment to Wednesday.
The application cited the lead counsel for the respondents’ prior commitment to appear before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, for a case scheduled for a definite hearing.
Although the petitioners’ counsel, Oladipo Oshinowo, representing lead counsel Ken Mozia, expressed readiness to proceed, he did not oppose the adjournment.
Josephine Ogagaworia, representing the APC, the 3rd respondent, also did not object to the postponement. Following the submissions, Justice Kpochi adjourned the case to Wednesday.
The hearing is expected to address the petitioners’ grievances and the respondents’ defence over the September 2024 governorship election results.
