Accord Party Candidate, Maduka Withdraws Petition Against APGA’s Soludo

• Accord Party candidate, Maduka withdraws petition against Soludo

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Dr. Godwin Maduka, the Accord Party’s candidate in Anambra State’s recently ended governorship election, has withdrawn a petition he filed challenging Professor Chukwuma Soludo’s victory.

As a result, the three-member tribunal comprised of Justice B. Mohammed, Justice Edem Akpan, and Justice O.H. Oyajimi dismissed the petition.

Mr. N.D. Agu, Maduka’s lawyer, had submitted an application with the tribunal, requesting that the matter be dismissed because his client was no longer interested in the petition.

Agu argued that, despite filing the petition, none of the respondents were served, and that, as a result, and in accordance with order 56, rule 2 subparagraph 1 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules of 2019, which he supported with an application, the petition should be struck out because the petitioner was no longer interested in the petition.

Meanwhile, the tribunal has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to allow both Soludo and Uba to inspect the election materials in the company of the police and the Department of State Services (DSS).

Counsel to Soludo and INEC, Mr. S.I Ezeokenwa had earlier prayed the tribunal to allow joint inspection of the election materials which the tribunal granted.

Though it had earlier been reported that 11 political parties had filed petitions challenging the victory of Prof Soludo, there are indications that four of the parties might be withdrawing their petitions before the end of this month following issues the candidates were said to be having with their party leadership.

There had been pressure by some stakeholders to stop candidates of the All Progressives Congress in the election, Senator Andy Uba not to challenge Soludo’s victory in court.

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