GOVERNOR Godwin Obaseki on Thursday asked the Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal to adjourn sitting to Monday to enable his lawyers restrategise in his defence of his victory in the September 28 governorship election in the state.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, are challenging the declaration by the Independent National Elctoral Commission (INEC) of Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the election and have listed INEC, Obaseki and the APC as first, second and third respondents respectively.
Ize-Iyamu had since closed his case after calling 91 witnesses and tendered several pieces of evidence to prove his case of alleged irregularity in some in the election while INEC also closed its case without calling any witness, electing to rely on the examination of the petitioners’ witnesses.
At the resumed hearing on Thursday, Obaseki’s lead counsel, Mr Adetunji Oyiyepo, Senior Advocate of Nigeria( SAN), after admitting three more witnesses, sought permission of the tribunal for an adjournment to Monday.
Oyiyepo said the adjournment was to enable the defence team re-appraise their case before proceeding to calling more witneses.
He said, “My Lords, we are asking for an adjournment. We have so far called 65 witnesses across the wards from the 18 local government areas of the state.
“We need Friday and Saturday to reappraise our defence strategy. We need more time to re-appraise our case.
“We need to restrategise to make maximum use of the available time on Monday. We don’t want to dump all manner of witnesses at the tribunal,’’ he said.
Chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice Ahmed Badamasi granted the application and ordered counsel to the third respondent, the APC, Mr Rotimi Ogunesan, to be ready to open his defence on Tuesday.
Earlier, the three witnesses, who functioned as ward collation agents in the Sept. Governorship election, in their oral evidence, maintained that the allegation of over voting by the petitioners, was false.
The witnesses were all from Estako East Local Government Area are; Mike Awenegemen, Ogun Ologhe and Efedayo Esheshe.
But crossed examined by the petitioners’ counsel, Mr Kehinde Adelaja, SAN, Awenegemen, refused to answer the question of “what constitute over voting.’’
When shown the voter register, exhibit PO260(6) and asked if there were tickings on the boxes, the witnesses responded “yes, the tickings are on the faces of the voters in the register, but I don’t know whether the tickings are to the right or to the left.”
Justice Badamasi adjourned sitting to Monday when Obaseki is expected to close his own case.
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