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Bayelsa: PDP Withdraws Petition Against INEC, APC

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The Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has withdrawn its petition against the Independent National Electoral Commission and the All Progressives Congress before the Bayelsa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

PDP had earlier challenged the emergence of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, David Lyon as the duly elected governor in the November 2019 governorship election.

Recall that the Supreme Court sacked the governor-elect and disqualified the APC’s deputy governorship candidate, Biobarakum Degi-Eremienyo, as a candidate in the election.

The counsel to the petitioner, John Okoriko, on Tuesday informed the Justice Muhammad Sirajo led panel that he had an application before the tribunal dated and filed Feb 18.

In the application, the counsel prayed for an order granting the petitioner leave to withdraw the petition against the respondents in view of the Supreme Court’s judgment of Feb. 13 which declared the petitioner and its candidate Sen. Douye Diri as the winner of the Nov.16 governorship election.

The application called on the tribunal to deem the application as properly filed and adopt the same for the interest of peace and justice for Bayelsa.

The application, in addition, prayed the tribunal to make additional orders as deemed fit in the circumstances.

Sirajo in response, however, said the petitioner could not seek to withdraw its application in the interest of peace and justice, but on the ground that the petition was incompetent based on the present turn of event.

The counsel to INEC, Ibrahim Bawa did not object the application, he, however, pointed out some observations.

Bawa said one of the observations was the petitioner’s counsel failed to comply with Rule 20, paragraph 29 (4) of the election rules which stated that there must be a signed affidavit by the petitioner himself attached to the application.

Counsel to APC, P. Abah equally said in pursuant to Supreme Court’s judgment, he had no objection to the petitioner withdrawing its petition.

Sirajo, therefore, said “We have noted your observations and in the absence of no objection, the application is granted. The petition is hereby struck out”.