Supreme Court Takes Final Decision On Need For 25% In Abuja To Win Presidential Election

The Supreme Court on Thursday considered the controversial issue of the mandatory need to secure 25 percent of votes in Abuja to be declared the winner of the presidential election in Nigeria.

The apex court in its ruling however submitted that a presidential candidate does not need to secure 25 percent in Abuja to win an election.

The Supreme Court said it did not see anything wrong in the position of the Court of Appeal that a presidential candidate needs not secure 25 percent in Abuja once he satisfied one-quarter in two-thirds of the state.

The apex court gave the verdict while delivering judgement in the case by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar against the victory of President Bola Tinubu at the February 25 elections and his affirmation by the Presidential Election Petition Court.

The court held that there is no merit in the issue of the requirement to secure 25 percent in Abuja and therefore resolved the matter against the appellants.

Supreme Court Affirms Tinubu’s Victory

The Supreme Court, on Thursday, affirmed the ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, which declared All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the winner of the February 25th presidential election.

The court proceeding led by the Presiding Judge, Justice John Okoro, dismissed the petitions filed by candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, on the ground that they lacked merit.

The Supreme Court held that the candidate of the PDP failed to prove that he won the election, stating that there was no alternative figure of votes to counter that validly declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Justice Okoro, who read the judgment, said the Supreme Court could not manufacture votes in support of Atiku and PDP.