The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has set the stage for a crucial examination of witnesses, announcing an adjournment to January 13, 2025, after concluding the pre-hearing formalities.
The tribunal will now commence a thorough examination of the September 21, 2023, governorship election disputes, which saw Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerge as the winner.
The announcement of the adjournment came after it was revealed that a total of 290 witnesses are set to testify both for and against the election’s outcome.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighdalo, along with other opposition parties, have raised challenges against Okpebholo’s victory, citing concerns over the transparency and validity of the election results, which saw Okpebholo securing 291,667 votes compared to Ighdalo’s 247,274 votes.
Justice Wilfred Kpochi, the chair of the three-member panel overseeing the tribunal, outlined the specific procedures for witness examination. Each star witness will have 40 minutes for examination-in-chief, followed by 30 minutes for cross-examination by the petitioners and 20 minutes by the respondents.
Additionally, a 10-minute re-examination period has been allocated for each star witness, while other witnesses will have 25 minutes for examination-in-chief.
The parties involved have also agreed to conduct daily hearings, except on Sundays and public holidays, and have established that the tribunal will only consider witnesses whose statements on oath have been submitted in advance. Interpreters will be available for those witnesses who prefer to speak in native languages, such as Benin, Esan, or Auchi dialects.
