BREAKING: Another Political Party Withdraws Petition Against Tinubu At Presidential Court

The Presidential Election Petitions Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday struck out the case filed by the Action Peoples Party, APP, and Simon Nnadi against the All Progressives Congress, the President-elect Bola Tinubu and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Recall that counsel for the APP, Obed Agu, had told the court on May 8 that the tribunal may wish to concede to the claim of his petition “considering the weight of evidence” they have against Tinubu and INEC.

The APP sought an order of court to nullify the election of Tinubu on the grounds that he was not qualified to run in the first place.

But at the resumed pre-hearing , the petitioner told the court that he filed a motion on notice a day after the first sitting dated May 9.

Speaking to the press, Obed said he planned to follow up on his petition till the last minute “but things changed” and his client asked him to withdraw the suit.

He urged the court to grant an order “striking out or dismissing the petition.”

Responding, counsel for Tinubu, Wole Olanipekun SAN, said his clients are not opposing the petitioners’ motion, saying “we want to commend them.”

“We are not asking for cost,” Olanipekun said.

On his part, APC’s lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, commended APP for withdrawing its case.

He seized the opportunity to call on the remaining political parties, that is the Allied People’s Movement, Labour party and Peoples Democratic party, to withdraw theirs as well.

“Let those who have not done the needful do so. The flight is moving,” Fagbemi said.

INEC’s counsel, Mahmoud Yakubu SAN, replied that his client had instructed him not to oppose the motion.

This is the second political party, after Action Alliance, AA, to withdraw from the Presidential Election Court before the commencement of full hearing.

“We are satisfied by the comments of the respondents that there is no collision.

“The petition having been withdrawn is hereby dismissed,” the five-man panel of the court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani said.