Ondo North: Tribunal strikes out petition against Senator-elect, Ipinsigba

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure, Ondo state capital, on Monday, struck out the petition filed by the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) against the Senator-elect in the Ondo North Senatorial District, Jide Ipinsigba.

The Tribunal struck out the petition based on the prayer of the NNPP to withdraw the petition before the Tribunal.

Ruling on the case, the Chairman of the Tribunal, Rose Soji, said that; “the motion on notice filed by the first petitioner, the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) praying the tribunal to withdraw the petition is granted as prayed. The petition is hereby dismissed.”

Earlier, the NNPP’s counsel, Segun Ogodo, had applied to withdraw the case and told the tribunal of his client’s interest to discontinue the petition.

“The party which is NNPP that I’m representing has shown interest to withdraw the petition against the respondents: Pastor Ipinsigba, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and INEC and accordingly the court has granted the application.

“The second petitioner earlier on also brought application to discontinue the petition but he had no appearance in court today and the petition literally appears to be abandoned and if the second petitioner does not appear in person in court at the next adjourned date, the court has discretion to do what it likes and it may strike out the petition,” he stated.

While the respondent’s counsel, Moradele Oke, said that he would not oppose the application.

“This should be the fourth proceeding that we would be appearing. The first petitioner’s application has been granted and the second petitioner has also filed an application to withdraw further presence in the case; the tribunal took a careful examination on the process and duly struck out the name of the first petitioner.

“The implication is that the petition subsists because second petitioner is still on record and he has liberty to be given hearing,” Oke said.

The tribunal, therefore, adjourned the case to May 24 for continuation of hearing on the second petition.

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