Labour, PPP withdraw petitions against Wike’s reelection

Two parties, Labour Party and the Peoples Progressive Party, PPP, have withdrawn their petitions against the reelection of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

The Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal subsequently struck out the petitions at its sitting on Wednesday.

The Labour party’s petition bwas filed by its governorship candidate, Isaac Wonwu.

Chairman of the tribunal, Justice O.K. Kaigama, dismissed the petition based on an application for its withdrawal filed by Wonwu’s counsel, Uche Olewunne, after liste Ining to the argument of all parties in the matter.

According to Kaigama, the LP governorship candidate withdrew the petition on his own volition.

Olewunne, who had earlier sought the leave of the tribunal to withdraw the petition, prayed the court to take the application out of pre-hearing stage as stated in Electoral Act, Page 47, Sub 1, First Schedule as amended.

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Counsel to for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Wike, Mr M.S. Agwu, though said he was not opposed to the application, told the court that he had filed an affidavit against any illegal terms of withdrawal.

In his own reaction, the counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission, Abdulhakeem Mustapha, SAN, informed the tribunal that the commission was not opposed to the application for withdrawal and called for the petition to be dismissed.

The PPP counsel, Chibuzor Ezike applied for the withdrawal of the party’s petition against Governor, a request granted by the tribunal.

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