Ogun Election Tribunal: Opposition parties withdraw petitions against APC

Two political parties, Action People’s Party (APP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) have withdrawn their case against the re-election of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, candidate, Dapo Abiodun in the March 18 governorship election.

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State Southwest Nigeria therefore dismissed the two petitions.

Voice of Nigeria reports that the Action People’s Party had filed its petition challenging the return of Abiodun as the governor-elect at the polls.

The party withdrew the petition, at the tribunal sitting, saying “upon the re-evaluation of the grounds and facts of the petition.

“The petitioner is not reasonably convinced about the sustainability of the grounds of the petition as presently constituted before this honourable Tribunal.”

The Party further declared that the withdrawal of the petition was based on the fact that upon an evaluation of the petition, the party had found that the respondent won the highest number of lawful votes as duly recognized by INEC and permitted by law.

Also announcing his party’s withdrawal of its petition, the the Opposition New Nigeria People’s Party Chairman in Ogun state, Sunday Oginni, disclosed that the party, which filed a petition against Abiodun before the Tribunal over the alleged omission of the party’s logo on the ballot papers for the governorship election by INEC was ready to withdraw.

“The New Nigeria Peoples Party, Ogun State chapter under the leadership of Comrade Olaposi Oginni Sunday, hereby, stepped out of court and withdraw the suit with petition number: EPT/OG/GOV/01/2023.

“We came to realize that on that same date (March 18) despite the fact that the INEC did not comply with an electoral act that stipulated that the name and logo must be on the ballots.

“The electorate still managed to vote for some of NNPP’s candidates and some of our candidates won in some places. For example, in Kano State, the governorship candidate of our party and candidates of NNPP for the House of Assembly and Reps were declared winners”, Oginni stated.

The Chairman of the Tribunal, Hamidu Kunaza, however, upheld the applications of the two parties and dismissed the petitions accordingly.

N.O