SDP, APC candidates in Cross River withdraw petitions

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) senatorial candidate for Cross River Central senatorial district in the 2019 election, Solomon Idor Esor, has withdrawn his petition from the election tribunal.

Esor, who had challenged the omission of his party logo in the ballot paper, put in an application for the withdrawal of the case and was granted unopposed by the respondents.

Subsequently, the matter was struck out by the three-man tribunal led by the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Vincent M. Agbata.

Also, the tribunal considered two separate applications from the APC candidates in the elections to the state house of assembly seats for Calabar South state constituency II and Bakassi state constituency filed by Victor Nsa and Dr. Nakanda Bassey.

Both had sought to withdraw their petitions challenging the victory of the Peoples’ Democratic Party candidates – Hon Joseph Bassey of Calabar South state constituency II and Dr Ekpo-Ekpo Bassey of Bakassi state constituency seat.

The APC candidates, in their separate applications before the tribunal, cited a financial inability to continue the case, while the SDP candidate, Solomon Idor Esor, adduced as reason his inability to be personally present in the country to pursue the case.

Counsel to the SDP candidate Joseph Oloko explained that his client was unlawfully excluded from the elections and he petitioned in line with constitutional provisions, but having considered that he has some other things he will be doing outside the country, he requested that his petition be withdrawn.

Senator-elect to the central senatorial seat, Dr Sandy Onor of the PDP expressed his delight over the development, saying he is “very thankful”, saying the election in all humility was a resounding victory for his party and his person and an “accumulation of a long period of service to our people and my desire to do them go at the national.”

“For anything else to happen it will be undermining the legitimacy of the victory. So I am delighted that my friend and brother has found it necessary to withdraw.

“I permanently wave the olive branch to my elder brother and one of our Icons, distinguished Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba SAN of the APC, and without being subjudice to understand that it is in the interest of our people to have him withdraw his own matter as well. I do hope in due season he shall do so”.

The petition filed by Senator Ndoma-Egba of the APC is also challenging exclusion from the race on the basis of delisting of names of candidates of the party which was officially announced by the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in the state, few hours to the election.

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