The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the petition of Peter Obi and the Labour Party on 25% of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as requirement to win the presidential election.
The Supreme Court ruled that FCT citizens do not enjoy special privileges ahead of other States.
Justice Inyang Okoro, who passed the judgement, said: “The decision of the lower court is unassailable and I see no difficulty in agreeing with it.
“Are You saying if someone scores 25% votes in 30 states but not in Abuja, he should not be president? Is that how you interpret the law? That is not the law. Supreme Court agrees with the Court of Appeal…..”
The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal had on September 6 declared that the Federal Capital Territory 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.
Justice 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.