Tina Amanda
The election petition tribunal sitting in Port Harcourt has dismissed the suit filed by the Governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Rivers State, Chief ISAAC WONWU, against the Peoples Democratic Party, its Governorship candidate, Governor Nyesom Wike and Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.
The case was dismissed based on the application filed by UCHE OLERUNNE, counsel to the Labour Party candidate ISAAC WONWU seeking to withdraw from the suit.
OLERUNNE urged the court to take the application out of pre-hearing stage as stated in electoral act page 47 sub one first scheduled of electoral act as amended.
While counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party and Governor NYESOM WIKE did not opposed the applications, counsel to INEC ABDULHAKEEM MUSTAPHA opposed the applications and asked the court not to strike out the matter but should dismiss it.
MUSTAPHA, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria’s argument was based on their previous motion seeking the court to dismiss the petition for lack of merit.
The three man panel led by Justice G.K KAIGAMA after listening to the argument from the parties, dismissed the petition, after other parties in the matter withdrew all their applications against the petitioner.
Speaking to our reporter Tina Amanda, counsel to Labour Party, UCHE OLERUNNE said his client decided to withdrew his petition in the interest of the state.
Also speaking, counsel to INEC, ABDULHAKEEM MUSTAPHA, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria said he objected to the applications of the petitioner and asked the court to dismiss the matter for lack of merit.
Meanwhile, the Election Petition Tribunal also dismissed the petition of the Peoples Progressive Party PPP against the Peoples Democratic Party and its Candidate, Governor NYESOM WIKE and Independent National Electoral Commission, based on application for withdrawal by the party.
Counsel to PPP, CHIBUZOR EZIKE a national legal adviser of the party, also filed an application before the court seeking to withdraw their petition, which was not opposed by any of the parties involved in the matter.
Counsel EZIKE told our reporter that the decision to withdraw the petition was after due consultation by the party, and to join hands to move the state forward.
On his part, Mark Agwụ, Counsel to PDP and Governor Nyesom Wike, said the withdrawal from both parties on the matter was a voluntary decision.
