Jimi Disu, a well-known political analyst and seasoned journalist, has come forward to share what a former INEC senior staff member told him about whether or not a candidate must receive 25% of the vote in the nation’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in order to be declared the winner of the February 25 presidential election.
This occurs as discussions about Peter Obi’s petition opposing Tinubu’s victory continue to dominate public discourse across the country….. Continue Reading
It may be recalled that Obi is arguing that Tinubu’s alleged victory in last month’s presidential elections should be void under Section 134 of the Constitution, which states that a candidate must receive 25% of the votes cast in at least two-thirds of the 36 states that make up the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory. Obi claims Tinubu did not satisfy the legal requirement by receiving votes from at least two-thirds of those 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
It’s interesting to note that this part of Obi’s appeal has since ignited a contentious debate among the nation’s legal elites, with some arguing that the fact that Tinubu didn’t receive 25% of the vote in the FCT has no influence on the election’s final results.
On Wednesday, Mr. Disu discussed the issue on Nigeria Info FM’s “Dailies Today,” where he revealed that renowned attorney and former INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Mike Igini had insisted that it is indeed sacred for a presidential candidate to win the required number of FCT votes in order to be declared the victor.
“The ruling on this matter will be a historic ruling. The irony is that I was just explaining to a friend that the law is not about what you believe, but rather how the jurors perceive the evidence. Mike Igini, however, is one individual whose input to this case I have greatly valued. He has worked for INEC as a barrister and a resident electoral commissioner. On this matter, Igini maintains that in order to be proclaimed the victor, a candidate must receive 25% of the votes cast in 23 states and 25% in the FCT.
Some lawyers, however, will argue the opposite. Since we are not lawyers, let’s be honest: that section of the Constitution is a little unclear. This is important to note because, typically, when discussing the states, you refer to “the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory,” which effectively refers to 27 districts as states. The question at hand is whether Abuja should be treated separately or as one of the states under the Law. Asiwaju’s FCT result was below 25% for good reason”……. Read more
