Tribunal says 25% votes in FCT not a requirement to win election

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the petition alleging that winning at least 25% of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is a requirement for presidential candidates to be declared winners of the election.

Haruna Simon Tsammani, chairman of the tribunal chairman, said in a ruling on Wednesday, that as the FCT does not enjoy a special status and therefore equal to every other state in Nigeria.

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Tsammani ruling was in response to a petition filed by the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, challenging the election of President Bola Tinubu.

In the petition, Obi had argued that Tinubu should be disqualified from being president because he failed to win 25% of the votes cast in the FCT.