The New Nigeria People’s Party NNPP and its candidate in the 2023 Kwara Central Senatorial election, North Central Nigeria, Abdul Aiyelabegan, have withdrawn their petition before the electoral tribunal.

Both applicants had in a petition demanded the nullification of the February 25 election won by Mallam Saliu Mustapha of the All Progressives Congress candidate.

Mustapha was declared the winner of the election after polling 109,823 votes and had since been presented with a certificate of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.

But Aiyelabegan, who came fifth in the election, challenged the electoral commission on the basis that the NNPP’s logo was not visible on the ballot papers used for the election.

However, in a turn of events, the NNPP candidate has decided to withdraw the petition. In a court process filed on April 7, Aiyelabegan and the NNPP, who were listed as applicants, stated that they will no longer go ahead with the petition.

The defendants in the process included the electoral commission, All Progressives Congress and Saliu Mustapha.

The defendants claimed the withdrawal is as a result of intervention by elders of the community.

“The Applicants were dissatisfied with the results as announced by the 1st Respondent INEC which declared the 2nd Respondent Saliu Mustapha winner of the said election and have presented a Petition against the Respondents before this Honourable Tribunal. 

The Petitioners, upon intervention by elders in the community, have decided to withdraw their petition against the Respondents. The Respondents will not be prejudiced by the grant of this application,” the court document read.

Dominica Nwabufo