During the sitting, the chairman, Justice Wilfred Kpochi called for cooperation from all the stakeholders like the political parties, all the parties in the suit; their supporters, counsels, security agencies, and the media, for a successful deliberation.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, is challenging Governor Monday Okpebholo’s September 21, 2024 election victory.
Others challenging the result of the election are Accord Party (AC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Flanked by the other two members of the panel, Justices AB Yusuf and AA Adewole, Justice Kpochi also urged the counsels not to engage in unnecessary arguments that could lead to shouting and craving so that the conducive atmosphere he met should be sustained.
Kpochi said, “I am impressed by the conducive and calm environment I am seeing, and going forward, I will want this to continue.
‘’I appeal to you all that let us put our eyes on the ball so that we can have serene proceedings.
“You have SANs and very senior lawyers here; nobody is going to shout at you, please don’t also shout at us. If there are areas you feel not comfortable about, please draw our attention to it.”
Responding, one of the lead counsels to Ighodalo, Ken Mozia (SAN), pledged their commitment to the proceedings as far as according to other parties would do the same.
He added, “We will do our best to represent our client and we have admonished his supporters to be civil and not to even be in the court premises, and we will do our best to cooperate with you.”
On his part, the lead counsel to the governor, Oyinyechi Ikpazu (SAN), said they were ready to cooperate with the panel and other parties in the suits to ensure a smooth exercise.
“We sue for understanding and work together. We have done cases; we have also done cases against each other, so we know ourselves, and we will give our maximum cooperation for this.”
Benin Chapter Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Idemudia Osifo, while pledging cooperation from the association, expressed concern about the space where the sitting is taking place, saying is too small compared to the number of people present.
Justice Kpochi said he had taken note of that. While Ighodalo, accompanied by the state chairman of the party, Tony Aziegbemi, were present in court, Okpebholo was absent.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) was represented by the State Legal Adviser, Stephen Okoror, accompanied by other chieftains of the party, including the former speaker of the State House of Assembly, Fran Okiye.
The court adjourned till Wednesday, December 18, in continuation of the pre-hearing sitting.
Justice Kpochi said it was expected that all the parties would have completed all the necessary preliminary actions and also agree on a pattern of hearing when full sitting commences.
While sitting was going inside the courtroom, suspected supporters of the parties clashed outside the court premises.
Some people believed to be supporters of some of the parties, wearing white fez caps and T-Shirts with allegedly inviting inscriptions, were to have clashed with other supporters who were said to have been against such inscription, and who were seen running in different directions within the court premises.
