SAULAWAJCA (Delivering the Lead Judgment): The instant judgment is in respect of the three consolidated appeals registered as (i) CA/I/EPT/ 37/2011; (ii)CA/I/EPT/37A/2011 and(iii) CA/I/EPT/37B/2011, respectively. The three appeals in question are a fallout of the ruling of the National and State Houses ofAssembly Election Tribunal, holden at Ibadan, Oyo State, on 29 November 2011. By the said ruling, the lower tribunal dismissed the appellants’consolidated applications seeking to dismiss the 1st respondent’spetition No. EPT/OY/NA/4/2011 on the grounds (i) that he had failed to apply for the issuance of pre-hearing conference notice, in accordance with paragraph 18(1) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended, and (ii) the lower tribunal lacks jurisdiction to hear and, determine the petition on the merits in view of the provisions of section 285(6) and (7) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended.
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