Again, INEC has affirmed its position on the 25 % of Federal Capital Territory FCT votes needed to declare a candidate winner of the presidential election.
INEC had declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress APC, winner and President elect of the February 25 Presidential electiion which has generated reactions and subject of litigation in the court of law.
In a preliminary counter- suit filed on April 11, before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, INEC said that 25% votes in FCT does not apply if a candidate meets all other requirements.
In the suit, INEC confirmed that the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, met all the requirements that led to his declaration as winner of the keenly contested 2023 presidential polls,
It said that the FCT does not have a special status as largely perceived by electoral observers and critics adding that its declaration of Tinubu as president elect waa statutory.
“The second respondent, having scored 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in the 29 states, has satisfied the requirement of the constitution to be declared winner of the presidential election, thus rendering the requirement of having 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in the FCT unnecessary.”
“The declaration and return of the second respondent were not wrongful and was made in accordance with the provisions of Section 134 (2) (b) of the Constitution, the second respondent having scored one quarter (25 per cent) of the valid ! “:
