JUMMAI HANNATU SANKEY, J.C.A. (Delivering the Leading Judgment): The Appellants were Petitioners before the Election Petitions Tribunal Panel II Ado-Ekiti. In the Petition, the Petitioners, (now Appellants), challenged the 1st -Respondent's election into the Ekiti South Federal Constituency II of Ekiti State at the National Assembly in the election held on the 21st April, 2007 on the ground that the election was invalid by reason of corrupt practices and/or substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2006 and its guidelines. The 1st and 2nd Respondents, as well as the 3rd to 8th Respondents in their separate replies, denied the two grounds upon which the Petition is based and asserted that there were no corrupt practices and/or substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Following the filing of the Petition, hearing commenced before the Election Tribunal Panel I at Ado-Ekiti. While the Petition was still part-heard, another Election Tr…