The Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal has announced its relocation from Benin City to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
LEADERSHIP understands that the relocation may not be unconnected to political clashes between supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the sittings of the tribunal.
Parties to the case were informed of the relocation through a notice dated January 24, 2025 and signed by the Tribunal’s Secretary, Mu’azu Ibrahim Bagudu, Esq.
“I am directed to notify all parties that the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin City, Edo State, has been relocated to Abuja at the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Airport Road, Abuja, effective from Monday, 27th January, 2025,” the notice read.
It was learnt that violent attacks, persistent intimidation and disruptions by political thugs prompted the relocation of the tribunal to the nation’s capital.
This newspaper recalls that thugs had disrupted tribunal sessions on multiple occasions, creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity inside its High Court premises location of the tribunal.
In one incident, a lone gunman wearing campaign T-shirt and face cap stormed a street adjacent the court, chanting provocative slogans in support of a governorship candidate while firing sporadic shots into the air.