EKPE, JCA (Delivering the Lead Judgment): This is an appeal by the petitioners against the judgment of the Governorship and Legislative Houses Election Tribunal Gombe State delivered on the 9th of June, 2003. The judgment was delivered after a full trial in which 17 witnesses testified for the petitioners and also 17 witnesses testified for the respondents in the election petition.
The 1st petitioner was the executive governor of Gombe State and a candidate for Gombe State Governorship elections held on the 19th of April A 2003 throughout this country, Nigeria. He contested the said elections on the platform of All Nigeria Peoples Party (A.N.P.P. for short). The 2nd petitioner A.N.P.P. is one of the 30 duly registered political parties in Nigeria and it nominated the 1st petitioner to contest the said Governorship elections in Gombe State on the platform of A.N.P.P.
The 1st respondent to the petition was also a candidate for the said Gombe State Governorship elections held on the 19th…