Paragraph 27
Power of Chairman of the Tribunal or the presiding justice of the court to dispose on interlocutory matters(1) All interlocutory questions and matters may be heard and disposed of by the Chairman of the Tribunal or the presiding justice of the court who shall have control over the proceedings as a Judge in the Federal High Court.
(2) After the hearing of the election petition is concluded, if the Tribunal or Court before which it was heard has prepared its judgment but the Chairman or the presiding justice is unable to deliver it due to illness or any other cause, the judgment may be delivered by one of the members, and the judgment as delivered shall be the judgment of the Tribunal or Court and the member shall certify the decision of the Tribunal or Court to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, or to the Commission.
i. This paragraph seeks to define the extent of the powers of an Election Tribunal or Court in Election Petitions on interlocutory questions and matters that may come up during hearing and the powers of the Chairman or Presiding Justice to take final decisions at the conclusion of hearing of an election petition.
ii.
It empowers the Chairman or Presiding Justice to dispose with all interlocutory questions or
matters that may come up during the hearing of the Petition. By the said Paragraph, if at
the
conclusion of hearing of the Petition, the Chairman or Presiding justice is unable to
deliver
the Judgment thereof due to ill health or other reasons, the Judgment can be delivered by a
Member of the Tribunal or Court.
Read Okowa v. Emerhor & Ors (2015) LPELR-48406(CA)
