The election petition filed by the United Democracy Party leader, lawyer Ousainou Darboe, was last Friday struck off by the High Court, presided over by the Chief Justice (CJ), Abdou Karim Savage.

In striking off the case, the CJ stated that the plaintiffs have failed to pursue their case diligently by failing to appear at all the sittings. He opined that one would have thought that once one files a case one would pursue it. But he stated that the plaintiffs have not shown any interest by failing to appear in court.

In her application earlier, lawyer Amie Joof, counsel for the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), stated that ever since the plaintiffs filed their case, they have not shown any interest to pursue it, by failing to appear in court.

She said she would therefore like to apply for the case to be struck out on behalf of the 2nd defendant, IEC.

Also on her earlier submission lawyer Ida Drammeh, counsel for the 1st defendant, president Yahya Jammeh, stated that the plaintiffs have not shown any interest to pursue their case, adding that the matter involved the office of the presidency. She equally expressed her intention to apply for the case to be struck out since the plaintiffs have shown no interest to pursue the matter by failing to appear in successive sittings.

The Director of Public Prosecution, Emmanuel Fagbenle, on behalf of the Attorney-General, also made a similar application.

Meanwhile the court has ordered lawyer Darboe to pay D5,000 as court cost.