Rivers State APC Withdraws Petition From Governorship Election Tribunal ‘As Part Of Governor Wike-Tinubu’s Deal’

“Tonye Cole disagreed with the withdrawal. He has stated he won’t help down however APC struck a address Wike to withdraw their petition. It’s phase of Wike’s address Tinubu.”

The All Progressives Congress, APC, on Monday, withdrew the petition it filed to nullify the declaration of the Peoples Democratic Occasion (PDP) candidate, Sim Fubara, as winner of the March 18 governorship election in Rivers Explain.

No longer decrease than nine candidates that participated within the March 18 governorship election in Rivers Explain had filed a petition at the tribunal no longer easy the cease consequence of the March 18 polls.

INEC had declared candidate of the PDP, Sim Fubara, who scored 302,614 votes as winner of the election, however opposition parties weren’t joyful with the cease consequence of the polls.

Folks which contain filed a petition at the tribunal are: Beatrice Itubo (Labour Occasion), Tekena Iyagba (Boot Occasion), Innocent Ekwu (APM), Etete Sobere (PRP), Gabriel Gborogbosi (Action Alliance), Magnus Abe (SDP), Pastor Tonye Cole (APC) and Dumo Lulu Briggs (Accord Occasion).

Nonetheless, at the tribunal on Monday, the Rivers articulate election petition tribunal struck out the petition filed by the All Innovative Congress, APC, following the withdrawal by its counsel.

Solomon Umoh, Counsel to the APC urged the tribunal that he may seemingly seemingly be taking on as counsel for the occasion following a circulation for switch of counsel before the tribunal.

He also told the court docket that his purchasers would fancy their names to be struck out from the petition as candidates.

Jibrin Okutepa who became once the feeble counsel for Tonye Cole and the APC, urged the tribunal that he became once no longer briefed on the fresh exclaim by the occasion.

The three-man panel, led by Justice Cletus Emifoniye, on the other hand granted the utility for switch of counsel and likewise granted the circulation as prayed by inserting out the title of APC as a petitioner.

The APC’s withdrawal became once brought pursuant to roar 9 rule 15 of the federal excessive court docket civil direction of principles 2019.

One amongst the grounds for the utility amongst others is that “There is the necessity to seem for the leave of this Honourable Tribunal to strike out the title of the 2nd Petitioner/Applicant, as the Applicant has no design to participate in this petition.”

No date has been fastened for the graduation of the pre-hearing of capabilities before the tribunal.

Top occasion sources told SaharaReporters that the circulation to withdraw the petition became once phase of the “deal” between outgoing governor, Nyesom Wike, and “president-elect” Bola Tinubu who turned into allies at this time before the elections, after Wike fell out with Atiku Abubakar – his occasion’s presidential candidate.

“Rivers APC had complained in opposition to the lawyer nominated by the National Relevant Adviser, Barrister Ahmed El-Mazurk, particularly since the stated lawyer has links to outgoing Governor of Rivers Explain, Nyesom Wike. So, for us or no longer it’s appropriate riddance.

“Tonye Cole disagreed with the withdrawal. He has stated he won’t help down however APC struck a address Wike to withdraw their petition. It’s phase of Wike’s address Tinubu,” one in all the sources published.