AWALA JCA (Delivering the Lead Judgment): This is an appeal against the judgment of the Governorship/Legislative Houses Election Tribunal, sitting at Makurdi, Benue State (hereafter referred to as “the tribunal’ ) delivered A on 30 November 2007. The appellants herein were petitioners before the tribunal while the respondents herein were before the tribunal, respondents. The parties contested the election held on 14 April 2007 in Nigeria, nationwide, under the platforms of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Nigeria Peoples’Party (ANPP) respectively amongst two other registered political parties, namely Action Congress (AC) and Democratic Peoples’ Parties (DPP).
At the end of the election the results declared were as follows: ANPP scored 16,313 votes, while PDP and its candidate scored 12,456 votes inter alia . As such the 1st respondent was duly declared the winner and returned accordingly by the 3rd respondent (INEC).
Aggrieved, the appellants filed a joint election pe…