Edo guber tribunal: Absence of witness stalls INEC opening defence

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

Absence of witness stalled the Edo State Governorship Election Tribunal as the court adjourned till Thursday, to enable Independent Electoral Commission(INEC) to begin its defence.

At the resumed trial Wednesday, counsel to INEC  Abdullahi Aliyu, informed the Tribunal that the five witnesses listed were held up on their trip from Benin City.

Following the information, the First respondent (INEC) tendered three documents which were admitted as exhibits R 1, 2, 3.

The documents tendered by the electoral body are the Certified True copies(CTC) of the Collation of result at the State level (or Form EC8D), the declaration of results and the regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections, 2022.

In its reaction, the plaintiff, Asue Ighodalo and his party,  People Democratic Party(PDP) through its counsel Adetunji Oyeyipo, did not object to INEC’s tendering of the documents.

He submitted that the documents tendered today were the same documents the PDP has already tendered to prove its case that the outcome of the Edo governorship election was flawed.

Therefore, the electoral body  assures the Tribunal that it will need one day to conclude its case.

The Tribunal chairman, Justice Wilfred Kpochi faulted INEC’s approach, stating that it has wasted the judicial time of the court due to their negligence.

Responding, INEC, through its legal team said it was handed a ten-day timeline for its defence, adding it has sufficient time yet.

Meanwhile, the matter has been adjourned till Thursday, for INEC to present its witnesses for defence.