CHIKWELU CHRIS OBUMNEKE V. OKEKE SYLVESTER, INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION & 179 ORS.

ALAGOA JCA (Delivering the Lead Judgment): This is an appeal by the appellant who was the petitioner at the Governorship/National Assembly and Legislative Houses Election Petition TribunalAnambra State sitting at Awka in petition No. EPT/AN/SAE/11/2007 against the ruling of the tribunal Coram: Hon. Justice J.S. Abiriyi (Chairman), Hon. Justice A.G. Kwajafa (member) and Hon. Justice A.M. Lamido (member) delivered on 23 October 2007 on a preliminary objection brought by the 1st respondent. The facts leading up to this appeal are briefly set out as follows:

Elections were held throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 14 April 2007 into the State Legislative Houses of Assembly. The petitioner/ appellant contested the election on the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) into the Anambra State House of Assembly for Anaocha I Constituency and at the end of the election, the 1st respondent was declared the winner of the election by the 2nd respondent, the Independent Na…