The hearing of petitions filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, challenging the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the Edo State governorship election, was on Monday stalled due to an All Progressives Congress, APC, suit coming up at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, January 14, 2025.

The three-man tribunal headed by Justice Wilfred Kpochi had on December 21, 2024, adjourned the hearing of the petitions to January 13, 2025, during the presentation of the pre-hearing and scheduling reports to parties and counsel in Benin City.

When the petition was called for hearing on Monday, the tribunal was notified that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the APC had filed a motion for adjournment to enable them to attend to a case at the Supreme Court.

The Assistant Secretary to the Tribunal, Dayo Dahunsi, informed the court that the application was from the Ist Respondent, INEC and the 2nd Respondent, APC, seeking adjournment of the sitting to Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

Dahunsi said the application was premeditated upon the premises that the lead counsel to the two applicants would be before the Supreme Court on Tuesday in a matter slated for definite hearing.

He stated that the applicants said that their requests also applied to other petitions against their clients before the tribunal.

Reacting counsel to the petitioner, Ken Mozia, SAN, said he was not opposed to the application in the spirit of cooperation.Mozia, represented by Oladipo Oshinowo, said the lead counsel to the petitioners got a copy of the motion seeking for adjournment late from the court’s registry.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who said they were prepared to commence trial on Monday, added that they were constrained to concede to the respondents’ request for adjournment.

He, however, averred that on the strength of the undertaking, such a request for adjournment shall not be made by the respondents in future.

The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Wilfred Kpochi who granted the respondents’ application, adjourned all petitions to Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission had on September 22, 2024 declared Senator Monday Okpebholo, the candidate of the APC, winner of the election.

Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of PDP, who scored 247,274 votes.