Candidate of Accord Party (AP) in the just concluded Anambra State governorship election, Dr. Godwin Maduka, has withdrawn the petition he filed against the victory of the candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Professor Chukwuma Soludo.
The three-member tribunal consisting of Justice B. Mohammed, Justice Edem Akpan and Justice O.H. Oyajimi, accordingly, struck out the petition.
Maduka’s lawyer, Mr. N.D. Agu, had filed an application, praying the tribunal to strike out the matter on the grounds that his client was no longer interested in the petition.
Agu submitted that though he duly filed the petition, none of the respondents was served, arguing that consequently and in pursuant of the order 56, rule 2 sub paragraph 1 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules of 2019, which he supported with an application, the petition should be struck out because the petitioner was no longer interested in the petition.
Meanwhile, the tribunal has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow both Soludo and Uba to inspect the election materials in the company of the police and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Counsel to Soludo and INEC, Mr. S.I Ezeokenwa, had earlier prayed the tribunal to allow joint inspection of the election materials, which the tribunal granted.
Though THISDAY had earlier reported that 11 political parties had filed petitions challenging the victory of Soludo, there are indications that four of those political parties might withdraw their petitions before the end of this month following issues the candidates were said to be having with their party leadership.
There had been pressure by some stakeholders to stop candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election, Senator Andy Uba, not to challenge Soludo’s victory in court.
