The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal has ruled that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) does not hold a higher status than other states in Nigeria.
This ruling was made by Justice Haruna Tsammani, the lead judge of the five-man tribunal panel during its sitting in Abuja.
Justice Tsammani referred to Section 134 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), which specifies the requirements for a presidential candidate to be declared duly elected as President of Nigeria.
According to the constitution, a presidential candidate must secure a majority of votes cast in the presidential election when two or more candidates are involved and must also obtain at least 25% of the votes in two-thirds of the 36 states and the FCT.
This ruling clarifies that the FCT does not have a unique or elevated status in presidential elections; it is subject to the same constitutional requirements as the other states in Nigeria.
