The plan of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and its candidate in the Anambra 2010 governorship election would have been nothing but a mirage save for the announcement of the withdrawal of the petition filled by the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) late Saturday evening by the counsel to the party, Mr Mike Okoye.

The HDP had earlier filed an petition urging the Anambra governorship Tribunal to restrain the Chief Judge of the state from swearing in Mr Peter Obi on the 17^th March. The party also advocated for the swearing in of the Speaker of the state house of assembly in place of the Governor, pending the determination of the case.

The grounds of the party its counsel had said was that Obi as at the time of the Anambra governorship election stood expelled from the All Progressive People Alliance (APGA). It also stated that Obi was not sponsored by any party as the leadership of the APGA was in contention between two of its members, and as such Obi was not sponsored by any Party, and could not have stood for the election.

Although the APGA had lampooned Okoye when the candidate of the HDP Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu issued a release dissociating itself from the petition against the governor, the application almost cost APGA the Wednesday swearing in when the matter came up at the tribunal on Saturday.

Ukpakareports.com can authoritatively state that both the leadership of the All Progressive Grand Alliance and the Anambra state government was visibly rattled on Saturday morning following the favourable disposition of the HDP camp to the matter. The governor and all his cabinet members were seen at the Anambra Judiciary premises, venue of the tribunal, all visibly shaken by the fact that Wednesday’s swearing in may be marred by the HDP petition.

In arguing his matter, Okoye who was also the running mate of Prince Ukachukwu on the HDP platform said that Obi was abinitio not qualified to contest the election, having been expelled by the party and not been sponsored by APGA. Onyechi Ikpeazu made frantic efforts to save Obi who was also the first respondent and Emeka Sibeudu his deputy who was also the second respondent.

The Presiding judges comprising of the chairman and four members of the tribunal; Hon Justices P.D Damulak, M.A Akoja, I.S Kamaludin, B.L Lawal and P.O Ige latter adjourned to Monday after standing down earlier for one hour with the hope of delivering judgment the same Monday to make for speedy hearing so as to either allow Wednesday’s swearing in or stop it on time.

Mr. Mike Okoye, a constitutional lawyer of great standing who was also known to have handled the River State governor, Hon Chibuike Amaechi’s case against the former governor, Mr. Celestine Omehia latter in the evening of Saturday called a press conference stating his intention to withdraw his petition against Obi’s swearing due to the plea of well meaning Anambrarians on him not to hit up the polity of the state, but to allow the swearing in go on in peace.

Ukpakareports.com had earlier noticed that Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), counsel to Mr Peter Obi and another official of the state government had spent time at the tribunal premises in a private discussion. When asked if his withdrawal was as a result of the private discussion held at the tribunal premises, Okoye said that the withdrawal is as a result of consultations and pleas from well meaning people of the state who were of the view that the tribunal case may disrupt the peace of the state. He denied that he was in any way compromised by the state government to drop the case.

Sources however told Ukpakareports.com that officials of the Anambra State government in the company of two other unidentified men and had met with Barr Mike Okoye in a closed door meeting in one of the hotel rooms whose number our source refused to mention in Suncity Hotel at Regina Caeli road, Awka.

It was however not fully ascertained if any form of payment had been made to the HDP counsel to drop the petition. The Saturday evening press conference had also been held at the restaurant of the Suncity Exclusive Hotel.