BENIN CITY – Edo state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin City has adjourned sitting till December 7, 2016 for the hearing of application to hear pending applications before further proceedings.
The Chairman of the three-jurist Tribunal, Hon. Justice Ahmed T. Badamasi gave the order before the tribunal rose from its sitting in Benin City Thursday.
The Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and PDP are the petitioners while the respondents are the Independent Electoral Commission, (INEC), Godwin Obaseki and the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Election Petition Tribunal.
While directing the counsel to the petitioners, Adebayo Adeladun (SAN) to file and serve the notice of the application to the counsels of the respondents not later than 3:00pm on Saturday December 5, 2016, Hon. Justice Badamasi also ordered that Counsels to the respondents, Onyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN), Adeniyi Akintola (SAN) and Ken Mozia (SAN) should file their response not later than Monday December 5, 2016.
This is sequel to the argument on the application to hear pending applications raised by the lead counsel to the petitioners and the counter argument raised by the lead counsels to the respondents, including Adeniyi Akintola (SAN) and Ken Mozia (SAN) leading legal luminaries for the All Progressives Congress (APC)and Governor Godwin Obaseki respectively on the need to file and serve such application at a reasonable time not so late as 6:45pm in the evening.
Though the Counsel to the Petitioners urged the Tribunal to hear the application, Counsels to the respondents urged the Tribunal to terminate the life of the application.
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, Secretary to Edo State Government, Hon. Osarodion Ogie Esq., Edo State Chairman of APC, Hon. Anselm Ojezua and the Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Deputy Governor, Hon. Kingsley Ehigiamusor were among political chieftains and supporters present at the Tribunal.
