The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Rescue Movement, Senator Saidu Muhammad Dansadau has alleged that there will be consequences after the 2023 election if Bola Tinubu loses in Court because he didn’t get 25% in the Federal Capital Territory. The Senator speaking in an interview with Arise Tv news stated that Tinubu’s defeat in court will be giving the FCT the veto power to decide the outcome of any election.
He argued that since the President-elect has gotten 25% in 28 states across the Federation, it’s not justifiable to say he lost the election just because he didn’t get 25% in the FCT. He pointed out that the section 134 of the constitution is one of the Nigeria laws that cannot be read in isolation. If you would recall that Mr. Peter Obi petitioned against the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He specified that Tinubu shouldn’t have been declared the winner by INEC because he didn’t get 25% in the FCT.
He said, ”I watched Dr. Olisa Agbakoba talking about the issue of the FCT a few days ago. I will like to say very quickly that there are some sections of Nigeria’s constitutions that cannot be read in Isolation from some other section of the constitution. When the constitution says for a candidate to be declared winner of an election, he must have majority of votes, he also must have 25% in 2/3 of the states in the federation and the FCT.
We have to look at the essence of the constitution, you don’t just look at the letter. The essence of making this provision is to make sure that somebody who is elected by a group of few states can emerge as the President of Nigeria. Now, if Tinubu had gotten 25% in 28 states of the federation and he didn’t get 25% in FCT and you are now saying he did not win the election. If Tinubu is not declared President because he lost the FCT, we are giving FCT the veto power. And that will be the grave implication of what we are doing.”
