By DAMILARE ADELEYE
The ongoing Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has ruled that winning 25% of votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is not compulsory for the declaration of the winner of a Presidential election.
Justice Haruna Tsamani led panel held on Wednesday that the statutory 25% votes from the FCT, there is no special status attached to FCT, hence scoring the 25% is clearly not a prerogative for declaring a winner.
The PEPT therefore dismissed the Petition of Peter Obi/LP on 25% of FCT required to win the Presidential election as FCT citizens don’t enjoy special privileges ahead of other States.
As for the mandatory 25% votes constitutional votes in the FCT requirements for being elected president below are a number of issues treated.
However, administration of the FCT reads as follows according to the constitution:
1 “The capital territory shall be treated as if it were a state and NOT as a state.
2.″Therefore, the president and vice president shall be seen as the governor and deputy governor, the National Assembly has legislative power over the FCT, while the Federal Executive Council (FEC) serves as its State Executive Council (SEC).”
No executive governor. No state cabinet, state assembly or legislature.
-3″Section 302 of the constitution gives the president the prerogative to appoint anyone as the minister of the FCT if he so chooses, or act as the minister if he prefers not to delegate the role.”
“The FCT is under the prerogative of the president who delegates such power of administering the FCT to anyone whom he deems fit. Hence such a person or individual is not a constitutionally elected governor or administrator.
- “302. The President may, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by section 147 of this Constitution, appoint for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja a Minister who shall exercise such powers and perform such functions as may be delegated to him by the President, from time to time,” the constitution reads.