UMOREN, J.C.A. (Delivering the Leading Judgment): The grouse of the appellant in the lower tribunal was that the 1st and 2nd respondents were returned as the Governor and Deputy Governor of Nassarawa State by the 5th, 6th and 7th respondents in an election held on the 9th January, 1999.
The appellant (petitioner at the tribunal) questioned the return of the 1st and 2nd respondents in an election petition No. NS/GLHET/LF/1/99 filed on the 22nd January, 1999, and another NS/GLHET/LF/7/99 filed on 9th February 1999.
The learned counsel for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th respondents filed notices of preliminary objection to the petition. The grounds for the objection were in the main that the petitioner had filed two petitions against the same parties over the same subject-matter and in the same tribunal and as such there was an abuse of the legal process. It was also a ground for the objection that the 5th and 6th respondents were not juristic persons and ought not to have been su…