AKPABIO, J.C.A. (Delivering The Leading Judgment): This is an appeal against a decision of the Local Government Election Tribunal, Akwa Ibom State holden at Uyo in petition No. LGET/AK/5/98 delivered on 13th February, 1999, wherein they allowed the petition of the petitioner (now respondent) and upturned the election of the then 15th respondent (but now the 1st appellant) with no order as to costs.
At the Local Government chairmanship election held on 5th December, 1998, the appellant herein was a chairmanship candidate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (P.D.P) while the respondent herein was also a candidate under the platform of the All Peoples Party (A.P.P). At the end of the exercise the appellant emerged victorious with a total vote of 21,520 and was duly declared and returned elected as the Chairman of Abak Local Government Council. His opponent of APP (i.e. the respondent herein) scored 20,619 votes and so lost the election with a narrow margin. Being aggrieved wi…