OGEBE, J.C.A. (Delivering the Leading Judgment): This appeal arose from elections into Local Government Councils conducted throughout the country on the 5th of December 1998 by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
In Ngala Local Government of Borno State, the appellant was a candidate for the chairmanship of the Local Government on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while the 1st respondent contested for the same office on the platform of the All Peoples Party (APP).
The 1st respondent was declared duly elected as the Chairman of Ngala Local Government having scored 11,952 votes as against 8,404 votes scored by the appellant.
Being dissatisfied with the result the appellant petitioned to the Local Government Election Tribunal, Borno State against the respondents. He challenged the election of the 1st respondent on the ground "that the election was voided by corrupt practices, irregularities and/or offences against the Local Government (Basic Constitutional a…