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Edo election tribunal: PDP, APC to call 290 witnesses as hearing resumes Jan 13
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The Chairman of the 2024 Edo Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, disclosed on Saturday that parties have agreed to call 290 witnesses.
The chairman, who adjourned the hearing to January 13, 2025, also disclosed that the time frame for the examination of witnesses and how the hearing would run have also been agreed upon.
Reading the adopted pre-hearing report, Kpochi said, “The parties have agreed to call a total of 290 witnesses.
“The report outlines the timeframe for the examination of witnesses, with 40 minutes allocated for examination-in-chief for each star witness, 30 minutes for cross-examination by the petitioners, and 20 minutes for cross-examination by each respondent.”
Other agreements reached by the parties, according to the chairman, include the allocation of 10 minutes for re-examination of each star witness and 25 minutes for examination-in-chief for other ordinary witnesses.
Further citing the report, the chairman said petitioners are expected to call their witnesses within 21 days or less, while respondents will have 10 days each to call their witnesses.
He said the tribunal would sit daily from 10 am, except on Sundays and other public holidays gazetted by law.
Justice Kpochi said there would be no consolidation of the petition with any other as there was no application with respect to it, and no amendment of such shall be entertained.
The chairman said parties agreed to call only witnesses whose statements on oath had been front-loaded and may call subpoenaed witnesses where necessary.
According to him, there shall be an interpreter for some witnesses from English to any native language, such as Benin, Esan, and Auchi dialects, and vice versa.
He then adjourned the hearing to January 13, 2025, following the adoption of the pre-hearing report.
In this case, the petitioners, Asue Ighodalo and the Peoples Democratic Party are challenging Monday Okpebholo’s declaration as the winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
In the September 21 governorship election, INEC declared Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the Edo election, having polled 291,667 votes, defeating PDP’s Ighodalo, who recorded 247,274 votes.
President of the ANAP Foundation and founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Atedo Peterside, has said that Nigerians are monitoring Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, as he oversees the Osun State governorship election.
Peterside made this revelation on Saturday while appearing on an Arise TV programme focused on the Osun governorship election, stressing that the conduct of the poll would be closely watched by Nigerians.
He said the outcome of the election would provide an important indication of INEC’s level of preparedness ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, the Osun election would serve as a “link pin” to the 2027 elections, but Nigerians should not assume that a successful poll in Osun would automatically guarantee a successful general election in 2027.
“Osun will serve as a link pin to the 2027 election, and Nigerians should not go with the notion that because Osun was successful, then automatically the 2027 general election will be successful,” he said.
Peterside also warned against deliberate delays in the electoral process, particularly in areas considered to be strongholds of a particular candidate.
He said any deliberate attempt to delay voting or the transmission of results in such areas could raise serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process.
“In a situation where an election is deliberately delayed because it is a weak area for a particular candidate, clearly, it is a form of rigging,” he said.
He added that claims of technical glitches or other problems during the process should be carefully scrutinised, noting that such incidents could undermine public confidence in the election.
Peterside further expressed the expectation that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, election results should be uploaded promptly after voting and collation.
“All things being equal, by 5pm or 6pm, we expect that all the results must have been uploaded, as we experienced in 2023,” he said.
The Oyo State Police Command has nabbed 10 suspected members of a human parts trafficking syndicate and recovered suspected human remains, including a heart and pieces of a skull, during an intelligence-led operation in the state.
The suspects were arrested at their various hideouts in Iseyin and Saki areas of Oyo State following months of intelligence gathering, discreet surveillance and monitoring by operatives of the Command’s Monitoring Unit.
The suspects were identified as Adam Ibrahim, 42; Nasiru Kabiru, 22; Tijani Wasiu, 54; Abiola Nasiru, 45; Amusa Gbadamosi, 57; Raheem Taofeek, 46; Jimoh Muritala, 35; Suleiman Busari, 47; Ganiyu Nurudeen, 36; and Usman Abdullahi, 52.
According to the police, searches conducted at the suspects’ hideouts led to the recovery of several suspected human parts, including one suspected human heart, human flesh, pieces of human skull and assorted charms.
The Command said the recovered items had been secured as exhibits and would undergo forensic examination as investigations continue.
The suspects reportedly confessed during interrogation to varying degrees of involvement in the alleged trade in human parts for ritual purposes. The police said they were also assisting investigators in tracing the source of the recovered items, as well as establishing how they were procured and their intended use.
The Command added that efforts were ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the alleged syndicate.
The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, commended the operatives for the successful intelligence-led operation and their painstaking efforts in tracking down the suspects.poli
He assured residents that the Command would continue to intensify its efforts to combat criminal activities and protect lives and property across the state.
Ahead of today’s guber poll, the Police has deployed some of its security dogs to Osun state to ensure seurity is not breeched during and after the election.
The police dogs have been prepared to assist security personnel in detecting and confronting potential threats from violent criminals.
Osun Decides: We’re monitoring INEC boss from all sides— Peterside
Police Bust Human Parts Syndicate in Oyo, Nab 10, Recover Heart, Skull
Osun decides: Ahead today’s poll, police dogs deployed to combat thugs
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