Legal Fireworks As 110 Lawyers Storm Edo Tribunal For Ize-iyamu Vs Obaseki

BEVERLY HILL, December 01, (THEWILL) – A total number of 110 lawyers stormed the Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal  on Thursday  in the petition filed by Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) against the outcome of the  September 28  governorship election in which Godwin Obaseki of the All Progressive Congress (APC) was declared elected.

Besides the over 100 lawyers, which included Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), there were hundreds of supporters of both parties at the court premises to show solidarity which led to violence as the supporters went after each other

Three of the party sympathizers were injured as one of them was axed on the head and he was rushed to a nearby chemist shop for treatment.

However, the tribunal failed to begin pre-hearing session of the petition as lead Counsels to the APC and Obaseki, messers Adeniyi Akintola and Ken Mozia said they were not informed about the pre-hearing session.

Lead Counsel to Ize-Iyamu and the PDP, Adebayo Adeladun, had earlier informed the tribunal that he was prepared for the pre-hearing session but Mozia and Akintola insisted that they have applications that must be heard before the pre-hearing session.

Also, counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Onyebuchi Ikpeazu, told the tribunal that INEC was not aware that the pre-hearing session was scheduled for the sitting revealing that he was not in the court for pre-hearing because the commission did not receive any information to that effect.

Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Ahmed Badamasi, held that the sitting was not fixed for pre-hearing session and fixed  December 7, 2016  to hear all pending applications.

Story by Oputah David