Nigerian law stipulates that a winner of a presidential election must have the highest overall number of votes and at least 25% of the votes in two-thirds of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
However, whether a candidate needs to secure 25% of the votes in the FCT to be declared the winner of the election is a subject of debate.
While Bola Tinubu was declared the winner of the contentious February 25, 2023 vote by receiving the highest number of votes, no candidate managed to attain 25% of the votes in the FCT, except for Peter Obi with 59%.
The outcome of the election, which led to Tinubu becoming Nigeria’s president, has been contested in court. A tribunal commenced proceedings on this matter on May 8.
If no candidate meets the legal threshold, a runoff election is conducted between the top two contenders. The first candidate should have garnered the most votes, while the other should have secured the majority of votes in most states.
However, an investigation was conducted to determine whether Nigeria’s president had indeed made such a request.
The case challenging the outcome of the presidential election concluded on July 4 with Inec presenting its sole witness to close its defense. Media reports noted that Haruna Tsammani, the presiding judge, announced that the verdict date would be communicated to all parties.
As of the time of this inquiry, the court had not issued its verdict on the case or indicated the possibility of a rerun. Given the significance of such a ruling, it would have garnered significant media attention if true
