ESO, JSC: This action was filed in this Court with a statement of claim dated 8th April, 1983, pursuant to the Rules of the Supreme Court 1977, which deal with the original jurisdiction of the Court. That jurisdiction is conferred upon the Supreme Court by section 212(1) of the Constitution of the Federation 1979 which I will hereinafter refer to in this judgment simply as "the Constitution". The action was brought by the Attorney General of Ondo State, on behalf of the Government of that State, against the Attorney General of the Federation and the Attorney General of all the other eighteen States in the Federation as representatives of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Governments of the States respectively. The Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) was also brought in as the 20th defendant.
The claim consists of a 33-paragraph statement of claim, which I do not consider necessary to set out in full herein for the purpose of the preliminary objection raised t…