Rivers gov’ship: APC withdraws petition against PDP, abandons Cole

The Rivers State Election Petitions Tribunal has struck out the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the election of Siminilayi Fubara as governor-elect of the state.

A three-member panel led by Justice Cletus Emifoniye struck out the petition on Monday after the party announced its withdrawal.

However, the party’s governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, remains as the sole petitioner against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP and its candidate Fubara.

Earlier, Solomon Umoh (SAN) announced his appearance as the new counsel for the APC, adding that he had the instruction to withdraw the party as a co-petitioner.

Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), who was the former counsel for Tonye Cole and the APC, told the tribunal that the party did not brief him on the new development.