JAMES OGENYI OGEBE, J.C.A., (Delivering the Leading Judgment): The petitioners contested the Local Government election for chairmanship and vice-chairmanship of Gwadabawa Local Government of Sokoto state on the 15th of March 1997 and lost to the 1st and 2nd respondents who were declared chairman and vice-chairman respectively by NECON. The petitioners filed a petition before the Sokoto state Election Tribunal challenging the election of the respondents and the petition was dismissed for fact of merit. The petitioners then appealed to the Sokoto state Appeal Tribunal which set aside the judgments of the trial Tribunal and returned the petitioners as duly elected chairman and vice-chairman of the Local Government. The Military Administrator of Sokoto state petitioned the Federal Government on the outcome of the appeal to the Appeal Tribunal which was likely to cause a breach of security in the state and the matter was accordingly referred to this Court for review.
The Federal Attorney-G…