Edo Guber: Legal fireworks resume at tribunal
‎The Edo State Election Petition Tribunal resumed sitting on Monday after a three-day adjournment it granted parties to the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, challenging the victory of Governor Godwin Obaseki at the September 28, 2016 Edo gubernatorial polls.
Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ahmed Badamasi had last week Wednesday granted the adjournment to enable counsel in the matter sort out non-contentious documentary evidence in conjunction with the Tribunal Registrar.
When the tribunal resumed hearing of the petition yesterday, counsel to the petitioner, Mallam Yusuf Alli, SAN, who led 41 other lawyers, disclosed that the parties had verified Forms EC8A (result sheets) for the 18 local government ‎areas in the state, in addition to Voter Registers for two local government areas.
He requested the tribunal to grant two more days to enable the parties verify the Voter Registers for the remaining 16 local government areas and adjourn the matter till Thursday this week.
Counsel to the respondents aligned themselves with the request‎ for adjournment but counsel to Governor Obaseki and APC, Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN and Niyi Akintola, SAN, respectively, prayed that the petitioners would complete the tendering of their documents on Thursday and commence calling their witnesses on Friday.
At this stage, the tribunal granted Tuesday and Wednesday to the parties to enable them complete the sorting of the remaining documents.
Consequently, Counsel to the petitioners, Mallam Yusuf Alli, SAN, opened his case by seeking to tender 2,531 Forms EC8A for all the local governments.
At the time of filing this report, the petitioners’ counsel had tendered Form EC8A for Akoko-Edo, Egor, Etsako Central, Igueben, Etsako East and Etsako West, with more documents scheduled for tendering after the tribunal resumed form recess at 3 pm.
