The Edo State Election Petition Tribunal has disclosed that a total of 290 witnesses will testify during the ongoing petition challenging the September 21, 2024, Edo State governorship election.
The petition, filed by Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeks to nullify the declaration of Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Wilfred Ikpochi, chairman of the three-member tribunal, made this revelation during a pre-hearing conference on Friday, where the tribunal also set out key guidelines for the trial.
The tribunal has officially confirmed that all parties involved in the petition, including Ighodalo, his party, the APC, INEC, and Okpebholo, will present 290 witnesses in total.
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Although the breakdown of witnesses for each party was not disclosed, Ikpochi emphasized that only witnesses whose statements had been submitted on oath would be called, and subpoenas would be issued where necessary. The petitioners, he clarified, would have 21 days to present their witnesses, while the respondents would be allotted 10 days.
“The parties may call expert witnesses as indicated in their pre-hearing answers,” Justice Ikpochi noted.
Justice Ikpochi further warned against unnecessary delays, stressing that frivolous adjournment requests would be denied in adherence to the time-sensitive nature of the election petition.
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He also directed that any written addresses submitted by counsel should not exceed 40 pages and must adhere to specific formatting guidelines, including double spacing and a font size of 14.
This includes the petitioners’ request for interrogatories to INEC and Okpebholo, which has already been approved by the tribunal.
The hearing has been adjourned to January 13, 2025, with the tribunal sitting daily, except on Sundays and public holidays.
However, the chairman noted that the sitting schedule could be adjusted based on the progress of the case.
