The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and its Enugu State governorship candidate, Mr. Frank Nweke Jr., dropped the petition filed against Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah today, Sunday, disputing the outcome of the state’s March 18 governorship election.
While addressing the tribunal, the petitioners’ counsel, Prof. Race Achara, stated that his client sought to make an oral application to withdraw the petition, with the case number 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 honorable 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 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Peter Mbah, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are the first, second, and third respondents, respectively.
The first, second, and third respondents told the court that they had no objections to Nweke’s application in response to the petitioners’ application.
As a result, the tribunal’s Chairman, Justice M. K Akano, issued a ruling dismissing 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“The petition before the tribunal with suit number EPTEN/GOV/07/2023 is hereby withdrawn,” the tribunal ruled.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 (Esq.) 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.