Reading the lead judgement of the Supreme Court on Thursday, Justice Inyang Okoro noted that scoring 25% of votes in the FCT is not a mandatory requirement for declaration of a candidate as the winner of presidential election.
By Jeffrey Agbo
The Supreme Court has ruled that 25 per cent of votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is not needed to win the presidential election.
The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which sat at the Court of Appeal in Abuja had declared that the FCT does not hold a higher status than other states in the country.
Section 134 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) stipulates that a presidential candidate must attain or score a majority of votes cast in a presidential election, where two or more candidates are involved, and at least 25% in two-thirds of the 36 States and FCT to meet the constitutional requirement to be declared as duly elected as President of Nigeria.
Reading the Supreme Court’s lead judgement on Thursday, Justice Inyang Okoro noted that scoring 25% of votes in the FCT is not a mandatory requirement for declaration of a candidate as the winner of presidential election.