The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has adjourned the hearing on the petition filed by Asue Ighodalo and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the September 21, 2024 election. The adjournment is set for Wednesday, January 15, 2025.
The decision followed an application from the lead counsel for the 1st and 2nd respondents Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Governor Okpebholo requesting a delay in proceedings. The tribunal had initially scheduled the hearing for January 13, 2025, after completing pre-hearing sessions in December 2024.
At the resumed sitting on Monday, the tribunal’s Assistant Secretary, Dayo Dahunsi, informed the court that the request for adjournment was due to the lead counsel’s prior commitment at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. The counsel also noted that the adjournment would apply to other petitions involving the respondents before the tribunal.
The petitioners, Ighodalo and the PDP, are contesting the election results announced by INEC, which declared Okpebholo as the winner with 291,667 votes against Ighodalo’s 247,274 votes.
In response to the adjournment request, Oladipo Oshinowo, standing in for the petitioners’ counsel Ken Mozia, stated that although they were ready to proceed, they would cooperate with the request, provided no further adjournments would be sought.
Counsel for the APC, Josephine Ogagaworia, also did not object to the adjournment. Consequently, Justice Wilfred Kpochi of the tribunal adjourned the case to Wednesday, January 15, 2025.
