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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom South in the February 25 national assembly election, Martins Udoinyang, on Saturday, withdrew the petition he filed against the declaration of Ekong Sampson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the senator-elect for the district.
The petitioner surprised the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, when he informed the panel that he was no longer interested in pursuing the case beyond the preliminary stage.
Udoinyang made the disclosure when he was called by the tribunal to adopt the statement he made on oath and give evidence in support of his petition.
His counsel, Mfon Udeme Esq, and supporters were taken aback by the APC candidate’s submission, as they appeared not to have prior knowledge of his decision.
Udoinyang declared in the open court that he was no longer interested in pursuing the petition, saying: “I have taken the final decision to discontinue the case.”
“My decision to withdraw the petition is based on the intervention of my leader, His Excellency, Senator Godswil Akpabio,” he added.
The APC candidate told the tribunal that Akpabio, who is the anointed candidate of the APC national leadership for the position of Senate President in the 10th National Assembly, “had pleaded with me to drop the petition against the election of Hon. Ekong Sampson, because the PDP Senator-elect is fully supporting the aspiration of Senator Akpabio to become the Senate President of Nigeria.”
Counsels to all the parties including Mfon Udeme Esq, who represented the petitioner; Uwemedimo Nwoko (SAN) for Sampson, Prof. A. Smith (SAN) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Emmanuel Akpan Esq for the PDP, did not object Udoinyang’s submission.
The tribunal subsequently dismissed the petition.