The Presidential Tribunal has dismissed the petition by the Action People’s Party which challenged the victory of the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, at the February 25 presidential elections following its withdrawal by the party.
The Tribunal had, on Monday, adjourned the continuation of the pre-hearing of the petition by the party against Tinubu, the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to Wednesday.
Upon the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the party through its counsel, Obed Agu, informed the court of its intention to withdraw the petition “brought under paragraph 29 (1,2,3,4) of schedule of election petition…seeking leave to withdraw the petition marked CA/PEPC/02/2023.”
Counsels for the respondents, Wole Olanipekun representing Tinubu, M.O Fagbemi for APC and A.B. Mahmoud, representing the electoral commission, did not object to the withdrawal.
“We are not opposing the petition…we are not asking for a cost.”
Responding, Fagbemi said, ”ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. We are not opposing…Let those who have not done the needful do so, the flight is moving.”
Similarly, Mahmoud said, “We do not oppose it. We have no objection to the petition being withdrawn and struck out.”
Following the withdrawal of the petition and the no-objection by the respondents, the court dismissed it.
In the brief ruling, Justice Haruna Tsammani who is the presiding judge at the PEPC declared, “Having carefully considered the application, we are satisfied that there is no collision on the part of the respondents, the petition numbered CA/PEPC/02/2023 is hereby dismissed having been withdrawn.”
