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.