The Edo States Governorship Election Petition Tribunal will on Friday, April 14, 2017, deliver judgement in a case filed before it by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
The Tribunal on Wednesday informed parties in the case of its readiness to deliver judgement in the case.
The PDP and Ize-Iyamu are challenging the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Godwin Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the September 28, 2016, governorship election in the state and listed INEC, Obaseki and APC as first, second and third respondents respectively.
The three-man Tribunal headed by Justice Ahmed Badamasi started hearing the case on January 7, 2017, and ended on April 3, 2017 when the Tribunal listened to the final addresses of counsel to the parties in the petition.
The PDP and Ize-Iyamu are being represented in the case by Yusuf Alli (SAN) and others such as Roland Otaru (SAN), Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), Kemi Pinhero (SAN), Ferdinando Orbih (SAN) amongst others, while Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) led other lawyers including A.B. Mahmoud (SAN), H.M. Liman (SAN), Ahmed Raji (SAN) and Onyinye Anumonye in defence of the INEC.
The second respondent, Obaseki, is being represented at the Tribunal by Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Ken Mozia (SAN), Adetunji Oyeyipo (SAN), A.J. Owonikoko (SAN), amongst others, while the third respondent, APC, is being represented by Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Ricky Tarfa, Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), Rotimi Ogunesan (SAN), Dr J.O. Olatoke (SAN) and others.
Lead counsel to the petitioners, Yusuf Alli (SAN), in his final address last week noted that his clients’ petition was largely documentary, meaning that it was hinged on documentary evidence of key materials used in the conduct of the election, especially the voters registers and the result sheets.
The PDP and Ize-Iyamu brought several witnesses to the tribunal and provided as exhibits the voters’ register in 16 local government areas of the state as well as the Forms EC8A, Form EC8B and EC8C, being results sheets for all the polling units, wards and local government areas of the state.
Obaseki and APC also produced witnesses including party collation agents to back their claims.
The first respondent, INEC, did not produce any witness during the sittings of the Tribunal, preferring to tender as exhibits results sheets used for the conduct of the election and cross examination of the petitioners’ witnesses.
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