The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, presided over by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, adjourned its hearing on Monday, January 13, 2025.
This followed a motion for adjournment filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing the need for their lead counsel to appear at the Supreme Court for a definitive hearing scheduled for Tuesday, January 14, 2025.
The petitions, filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, challenge the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the APC as the winner of the Edo State governorship election.
The tribunal, which had earlier adjourned on December 21, 2024, resumed in Benin City to consider the case but was notified of the motion to delay proceedings.
Assistant Tribunal Secretary, Dayo Dahunsi, informed the court that the adjournment request from INEC and the APC extended to other petitions involving the same respondents. Counsel for the petitioner, Ken Mozia, SAN, represented by Oladipo Oshinowo, expressed readiness to proceed but did not oppose the application for adjournment in the interest of cooperation. He, however, insisted that no further adjournment requests from the respondents would be entertained.
Justice Kpochi granted the motion and rescheduled the hearing of all petitions to Wednesday, January 15, 2025.
INEC had declared APC candidate Senator Monday Okpebholo the winner of the September 22, 2024 election, with 291,667 votes against PDP candidate Asue Ighodalo’s 247,274 votes.
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