JUST-IN: Presidential election Tribunal dismisses petition against Tinubu’s victory

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting at the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by the Action Peoples Party (APP) challenging the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.

When the petition was called on Tuesday, counsel to the APP, Mr. Obed Agu informed the court of the party’s motion on notice dated March 9, 2023, seeking the withdrawal of the petition is filed against Tinubu’s election.

According to Agu, the motion on notice was brought pursuant to paragraph 29(1)(2)(3)(4) of the schedule for election petition.

The petitioner, he said, prays the court to grant it leave to withdraw its petition numbered, CA/PEPC/02/2023 as well as an order striking out the petition, having been withdrawn.

Counsel to the respondents, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) for Tinubu, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) for the APC and Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not object to the application for the withdrawal of the petition, neither did they ask for cost.

Ruling on the application, Justice Haruna Tsammani, heading the five-member panel of Justices of the court said, “Having considered the application and response of the respondents, we are satisfied that there was no collision on the part of the respondents, the petition numbered, CA/PEPC/02/2023 is hereby dismissed, having been withdrawn”.