There was mid-drama on Wednesday at the ongoing Edo State 2024 Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin City, when one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) witnesses told the court that he assented to his statement in error.
The witness, Mr. Destiny Enabulele, while under cross examination by the counsel to the respondents(APC, Monday Okpebholo), admitted to having erred in his statement as his claims did not reflect the documents submitted as they had claimed victory at the September 21, 2024 poll.
Contrary to the petition challenging the validity of the governorship election, Enabulele’s testament had appended his signature to the form validating the credibility of the election, thereby punching serious holes to his party’s case at the tribunal.
Similarly, another PDP witness, Moses Agbakur appealed to the Tribunal to disregard paragraph 13 and 14 in his earlier submitted statements, as they were also in error.
Objecting to the appeal, counsel to the 1st and 2nd Respondents, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Governor Monday Okpebholo respectively, prayed the Tribunal to disregard the PDP’s witness appeal to disregard paragraph 13 and 14 of his statements.
Mr. Agbakur under cross examination could not confirm the availability of his party’s agent at the polling units in the area in which he alleged that results were not signed, thereby throwing doubts on his assertion and authority.
In a rather bizarre development, Witness 3 for the petitioners (PDP, Asue Ighodalo), Mr. Babah Idenobenhe, who had also requested the Tribunal to expunge certain paragraphs of his earlier submitted statements as they were made in error, caused a stir in court, when he said on cross determination, that he relied on the documents personally generated by him in writing his statement of evidence.
His points were punctured by the respondent’s counsel, leaving the case watery and lacking substance.
The Tribunal, thereafter, adjourned until Thursday, January 23, 2025.
