25% FCT votes immaterial, has no special status – Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has thrown out the applications by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, seeking to nullify the election of President Bola Tinubu on the ground that he did not win the 25 per cent votes in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

The Supreme Court maintained that the FCT has no special status; therefore, the court said it agreed with the Judgment of the Appeal Court that 25 per cent is immaterial, insisting there was nothing wrong with the tribunal’s decision.

Kemi Filani News reported that the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal had declared that the FCT does not hold a higher status than other states in the country.

Supreme Court had commenced the pronouncement of Judgment on the appeal filed by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and his counterpart of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

They are praying the apex court set aside the September 6 judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, which dismissed their allegation that the election was rigged in favour of the ruling party.

Aside from challenging President Tinubu’s eligibility to participate in the contest, both Atiku, who came second, and Obi, who came third, maintained that he (Tinubu) did not secure the majority of valid votes that were cast during the election to be declared the winner.