The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and its Enugu State governorship candidate, Mr. Frank Nweke Jr., yesterday, withdrew the petition filed against Governor Peter Mbah challenging outcome of the March 18 governorship election in the state.
The petitioners’ counsel, Prof. Race Achara, while addressing the tribunal said his client wished to make an oral application to withdraw the petition which had its suit number as EPTEN/GOV/07/2023 from the court. “My lords, as has been instructed by my client, I wish to make an oral application before the honourable tribunal to withdraw the petition filed against the first, second and third respondents in this matter so that we will no longer be wasting the time of the court, as we were not able to gather the evidence that will help in prosecuting the matter, “ counsel to the petitioners said.
The first, second and third respondents are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Peter Mbah, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), respectively.
Replying to the petitioners’s application, the first, second, and 3rd respondents told the court that they had no objection to Nweke’s application.
Chairman of the tribunal, Justice M. K Akano, therefore, made a ruling striking out the petition.
“The petition before the tribunal with suit number EPTEN/GOV/07/2023 is hereby withdrawn,” the tribunal ruled.
Meanwhile, addressing the press later, counsel to the first respondent, PMB Onyia maintained that the petitioners withdrew their petition because they didn’t see it succeeding.
“ I will like to say that they withdrew their petition because it had no chance of succeeding,” Onyia said.