This action was taken at the ongoing pre-hearing at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Monday in Abuja.
The petitioners had in the petition contended that their real candidate Solomon Okanigbuan was excluded from the list uploaded on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Upon resumed hearing, the petition by the Action Alliance was called and parties announced their appearances.
The presidential candidate of the party, Solomon Okanigbuan, was in court and the Action Alliance was represented by the chairman of the party, Adekunle Omo-aje who announced his appearance.
The Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, introduced himself as Bola Tinubu’s representative. However the court said Lalong could not represent Tinubu, but the APC.
Following this, Oba Maduabuchi announced his appearance for the AA party.
However, confusion ensued as Malachi Umuebe also announced his appearance for the same party.
But maintaining his stance as the representative of the party, Maduabuchi sought the order of the court to withdraw the petition in its entirety.
Speaking he demanded the withdrawal of the party’s name from the petition on the grounds that the AA did not consent to be joined in the petition.
He cited the Court of Appeal judgment which according to him said, “You people are not even members of Action Alliance adding that he would not like to drag the court into the matter.
“My prayers are that upon withdrawal, the petition be dismissed adding that “I have been served by the respondents that they are not opposing.”
Responding, counsel for the respondent, Abubakar Mahmoud said, “We have no objection, my Lord.”
In a brief ruling, Justice Tsammani dismissed the petition as requested.
“The petition is hereby dismissed,” the justice concluded.
The AA has been embroiled in a tussle over the party’s leadership.
The PUNCH reports that the Justices who will be presiding over the various petitions that will arise are: the Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal, Haruna Tsammani; Justice Stephen Adah of the Court of Appeal Asaba division, Justice Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf, Court of Appeal also of Asaba Division; Justice Boloukuoromo Ugoh of Kano division and Justice Abba Mohammed of Ibadan Court of Appeal.
Details later…
