We’ve no plan to withdraw petition against Gov Abiodun

The National leadership of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), on Sunday, described as an untrue plan to withdraw its petition against the Ogun State governor-elect, Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the omission of NNPP name on the ballot paper used in conducting the 2023 governorship election in the state.

This was contained in a letter dated April 27th, 2023 sent to the secretary, Ogun State governorship and state Houses of Assembly election petition to, Abeokuta, Ogun State by the national legal adviser of NNPP, Hon Robert.

On Sunday, the Ogun State chairman of NNPP, Olaposi Oginni, had said the party is withdrawing its petition against Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun before the election petition Tribunal, noting that the political calendar of the state would be disrupted should the petition succeeds.

But in a swift reaction by the national leadership of the party in a letter titled, “Notification of Unauthorised Withdrawal of Petition No: EPT/OG/GOV/01/2023 pending before the Ogun State Governorship/State House of Assembly Election Tribunal Holden at Abeokuta debunked the development.

According to the letter, “the attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of our great party, the NNPP has been drawn to the fact that a notice was filed to withdraw the above captured suit on behalf of the party.

“We wish to state unequivocally that we do not authorised anybody or group of people nor the counsel on record Peter Ogah to withdraw the suit pending before the honourable tribunal and we do not consent to such withdrawal.

“By the provisions of the Constitution of New Nigeria People’s Party, 2022, particularly Article 27.18 (iii), (v) and (vi); it is only the national legal adviser of the party that can engage the services of an external solicitor where desirable subject to the approval by the National Working Committee (NWC), “

“The purported notice of withdrawal of the said petition is not part of the terms of engagement of the external counsel and therefore violates the tenets of our constitution which we hold very dear as a party.

“We most humbly urge on the honourable tribunal to discountenance the said notice of withdrawal as the phone, NNPP is desirous of prosecuting the petition before your noble lords to its logical conclusion, “the letter concluded.