Tribunal strikes out senatorial candidate’s petition against Moro

The National/state Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting
in Makurdi, Benue State, on Tuesday struck out the petition filed
by the senatorial candidate of the Advanced Peoples Democratic
Alliance, Alhaji Usman Abubakar, challenging the election of Abba
Moro of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The tribunal’s chairman, Justice A.A. Adeleye, who ruled on the
application for withdrawal of petition brought before the tribunal
by Abubakar’s counsel, Mr Bem Aboho, said after a careful
consideration of the application and the accompanying processes,
the court decided to strike out the petition.

Adeleye explained that the tribunal deemed it necessary to take
the decision because all the parties (petitioners and the
respondents) in the case had no objection to the application.

Aboho had earlier told the court that his client and his party
were no longer desirous of prosecuting the petition.

He said the petitioner/applicant deposed to three affidavits in
support of the application for withdrawal while the chairman of the
party deposed to the other three.

He said the first and second petitioners would adopt the written
addresses filed in respect of the application and urged the
tribunal to strike out the petition.

Mr Ishaku Vongjen who held brief for Moro’s lead counsel,
Kenneth Ikonne (SAN), said he had no objection to the application
for withdrawal and asked the court to wave the first respondent’s
inability to file an affidavit in respect of the withdrawal.

Vongjen urged the court to strike out the petition as requested
by the petitioner’s counsel in the interest of justice.

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