On September 22, 2016, the ACT Electoral Commission barred Mohammad Munir Hussain from standing in the October election.

He had wanted to stand as an independent candidate, but the commission had rejected his nomination, saying he did not have the required number of signatures on his nomination form.

His form needed to be signed by at least 20 voters on the ACT electoral roll in the Gungahlin electorate of Yerrabi.

Only 19 of his signatories were enrolled to vote. Among the rejected signatures was that of his wife, Bazlun Bilkis.

Mr Hussain applied to the Court of Disputed Elections to have his candidacy declared valid and the Yerrabi result declared void. It was the first time an ACT election has been challenged in court.

The case was set down for hearing on March 21. However, that morning, Mr Hussain tried to withdraw from the challenge.

He was unsuccessful that morning because he had not publicly advertised his intention to withdraw from the challenge, as is required by the ACT's electoral laws.

On Thursday, the court heard Mr Hussain had since advertised that notice in The Canberra Times on April 5.

The notice says Mr Hussain was withdrawing from the case because of a "severe medical condition" and open-heart surgery.

It said that as a result of his ongoing health problems, he did not want to unnecessarily "prolong this legal battle neither by costing the taxpayers' money in court nor by holding a fresh election".

The commission consented to his application to withdraw.

Mr Hussain, who was self-represented, maintained on Thursday he was abandoning the case on the basis of his health.

Justice John Burns gave Mr Hussain leave to withdraw.

The judge made no order as to costs.