APGA’s Nweke Withdraws Petition against Enugu Governor, Mbah

Gideon Arinze in Enugu

The All-Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), governorship candidate in Enugu State, Frank Nweke, has withdrawn the petition filed against Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah, challenging the outcome of the March 18 governorship election at the Enugu State governorship election tribunal.
While addressing the tribunal yesterday, the petitioners’ counsel, Race Achara, said his client wished to make an oral application to withdraw the petition which had its suit number as EPTEN/GOV/07/2023 from the court.

“My lords, as has been instructed by my client, I wish to make an oral application before the honourable tribunal to withdraw the petition filed against the first, second and third respondents in this matter so that we will no longer be wasting the time of the court, as we were not able to gather the evidence that will help in prosecuting the matter, ” counsel to the petitioners said.

Replying to the petitioners’ application, the first, second and 3rd respondents told the court that they had no objection to Nweke’s application.
Thereafter, chairman of the tribunal, Justice M. K Akano, made a ruling striking out the petition.
Meanwhile, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, for Enugu State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu, who was in court following the subpoena served on the Commission to produce specific BVAS machines used during the election in some isolated areas, told the tribunal during cross-examination that the election was free, fair and credible.

The REC, who was represented by the Public Relations Officer of the Commission in Enugu, Victor Ezeokafor, also stated that the Commission gave certified True Copies of electoral documents requested by Labour Party, adding that those that were not released were those that were not prayed for.