The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday closed its case defending the September 21 governorship election in Edo State without calling a single witness.
Thisday reports that the electoral umpire had on Wednesday tendered documents relating to the election with a promise to call five of its witnesses in defence of its declaration of the All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, as winner of the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
However, when the matter was called on Thursday, INEC through its lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), informed the court that it has reviewed the case and think it would be sensible to close its defence.
“After we left you yesterday, we gave more thoughts to the matter and came to the conclusion that the sensible thing to do is to close the case of the first respondent, which we hereby do,” the senior lawyer said.
Agabi claimed that the first respondent did justice to the case during the cross-examination of witnesses of the petitioners.
Responding, Mr Adetunji Oyeyipo (SAN), who represented the petitioners — Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Mr Asue Ighodalo — said he was not surprised by the action of the electoral umpire and as such would not be objecting to the closure of the case without calling witnesses as earlier promised.
Lawyers of Governor Okpebholo and APC did not also object to the closure of the first respondent’s case.
The chairman of the three-member election tribunal, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, in a short ruling held that: “The request is granted and the first respondent’s case is hereby closed.”
Meanwhile, the second respondent’s (Senator Monday Okpebholo) lawyer, Mr Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), prayed the court for a date in the coming week to enable him open his own defence, because he never envisaged that the first respondent would close its case on Thursday.
“I have not arranged for witnesses to be moved from Benin. A date next week would be okay,” he said, just as he promised not to use the entire 10 or five days allotted to the second respondent
Story courtesy: Thisday Newspapers
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