Edo Election Petition Tribunal Adjourns to January 15

The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has adjourned its proceedings to Wednesday, January 15, 2025, for the commencement of a full hearing on the petition filed by Dr. Asue Ighodalo and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The petition challenges the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the September 21, 2024, governorship election.

Governor Okpebholo, who secured 291,667 votes in the election, was declared the winner, defeating PDP’s Dr. Ighodalo, who garnered 247,274 votes. Ighodalo and the PDP have contested the results, leading to the filing of the petition before the tribunal.

The adjournment was granted after an application from the lead counsel for both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Governor Okpebholo, who requested a postponement. The Assistant Secretary to the tribunal, Dayo Dahunsi, informed the court that the request was due to the fact that the lead counsel for the first and second respondents would be attending a hearing before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, January 14.

Dahunsi confirmed that the application for adjournment also applied to other petitions involving the same respondents before the tribunal.

Responding to the adjournment request, Oladipo Oshinowo, who represented the petitioners’ lead counsel, Ken Mozia (SAN), stated that while the petitioners were ready to proceed with the trial, they would not object to the request in the spirit of cooperation. He added, however, that the petitioners expected that future requests for adjournments would not be made by the respondents.

Counsel for the third respondent, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Josephine Ogagaworia, also did not object to the adjournment.

Justice Kpochi, presiding over the tribunal, granted the adjournment and set the next hearing date for Wednesday, January 15, 2025.