Senator Saidu Muhammad Dansadau, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Rescue Movement, has asserted that there will be consequences after the 2023 election if Bola Tinubu loses in Court since he didn’t obtain 25% in the Federal Capital Territory. In an interview with Arise Tv , the Senator indicated that Tinubu’s defeat in court will give the FCT the veto power to decide the outcome of any election.
He claimed that because the President-elect received 25% in 28 states across the Federation, it is not fair to suggest he lost the election simply because he did not receive 25% in the FCT. He stated that Section 134 of the Nigerian constitution is one of the provisions that cannot be read in isolation. If you recall, Mr. Peter Obi filed a petition against President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He stated that Tinubu should not have been declared the victor by INEC since he did not receive 25% of the vote in the FCT.
The letter of the Constitution isn’t everything; we also need to evaluate its spirit. The goal of this clause is to ensure that a candidate elected by a modest coalition of states can become President of Nigeria. Tinubu cannot be considered elected if he received 25% of the vote in 28 of the 36 states in the federation but fell short in the Federal Capital Territory. We are delegating veto authority to the FCT if Tinubu is not declared President since he lost the FCT. That is the unintended effect of our deeds.
