Amidst the controversies surrounding the presidential election held on February 25, 2023, that a candidate must obtain 25% of the votes cast in two-thirds of all the States in the Federation (24 States); AND further, in the FCT, Abuja.
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Supreme Court had ruled in a case involving Muhammadu Buhari of the then All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Olusegun Obasanjo of the then Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday, July 15, 2005, that the FCT is treated as a separate state.
A former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), has maintained that before a candidate can be declared winner in a presidential election, that candidate must score 25 per cent of the votes cast in the election in 2/3 of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom, Mike Igini, in a now-viral video was quoted saying Nigeria’s Constitution mandated a candidate to score 25 percent of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) before being declared winner in presidential poll.
Prof. Mike Ozekhome (INEC), faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for going ahead to declare Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the President-elect, having not scored the required 25 per cent in the FCT.
The Constitution is the birth certificate of any Nation, it is organic. the Nigeria’s law clearly stated that before a president would be declare a winner, he must satisfy both conditions of 25% in 24 States; and 25% in the FCT, Abuja. So, FCT treated as a separate state.
But the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said a candidate does not need to secure 25% of votes in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to win a presidential election in the country.
However, Finding the BODMAS X in the Mathematics of 25% of the FCT, Abuja, by Mike Ozekhome, further clarifies 25% in FCT as compulsory.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.
According to INEC, Tinubu secured 8,794,726 votes, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar had 6,984,520, while the Labour Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, polled 6,101,533.
The PDP and LP candidates have rejected the result. Both parties have approached the tribunal with separate petitions to challenge Tinubu’s victory.
They alleged that Tinubu was not qualified to contest the election and that he failed to secure the majority of lawful votes cast at the poll.
These poll will last for one week.
