Supreme Court Affirms: Tinubu’s Presidential Bid Unaffected by FCT Votes

The Nigerian Supreme Court has put an end to the debate surrounding Bola Tinubu’s eligibility for the presidency, stating that the requirement of securing 25% of the votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) does not determine the fate of a presidential candidate.

The judgment, which came as a result of an appeal initiated by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party, addressed the argument that Tinubu’s victory should be nullified due to his failure to secure 25% of the votes cast in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

Presiding over the case, the justice emphasized the importance of understanding the constitutional intent. He posed a crucial question: “Are we saying that he cannot be president if a candidate secures 25% of 1/4 of votes in 30 out of 36 States and Abuja but fails to secure 25% in the FCT? Is that what the Constitution intended?” He then clarified that the court below had correctly interpreted the Constitution, highlighting that there is no explicit requirement for a candidate to score 25% of votes in the Federal Capital Territory.

The ruling emphasized that the framers of the constitution did not intend to make the scoring of 1/4 of votes in the FCT a distinct requirement for the return of a presidential candidate. The lower court’s decision on this matter was affirmed by the Supreme Court, putting to rest any doubts about Bola Tinubu’s eligibility for the presidential race.