A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, the Cross River State’s Capital in south-south Nigeria, has dismissed a petition filed by the Governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Fidelis Ugbo, against Governor Ben Ayade of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The petition, filed through the Election Petition Tribunal, sought the nullification of the 2015 governorship election which saw Ayade emerge the Cross River State Governor.

Governor Ayade defeated Ugbo after polling 342,016 votes, while Mr Ugbo of the Labour Party polled a total of 36,918 to come third.

In a plea made to the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Mohammed Mayaki, the petitioner and lead counsel to Fidelis Ugbo, Barrister Bolutife Olusegun, appealed to the court to dismiss the case rather than striking it out.

He maintained that it had received an affidavit of the second and third respondents, which became necessary for the dismissal of the case.

Justice Mayaki, after considering the submissions from the various parties, decided to strike out the petition.

Speaking shortly after the ruling, the first respondent to Governor Ayade, Mr Alphonsus Eba, observed that Ugbo’s decision in the withdrawal of the case was of the best interest of the state.

Similarly, the second respondent for the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr Rowland Otaru, said the application for the withdrawal was an indication of the victory for democracy and the rule of law.