Controversies have continued to trail the declaration of Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, as the winner of the presidential election, following the revelation that he did not secure up to 25% of votes cast in Abuja. This has led to arguments that Tinubu should not have been declared the winner in line with Section 134(2) of the Nigerian constitution.
However, a political technocrat, Dr Dayo Kayode, has weighed in on the matter, citing a Supreme Court ruling in 2005 involving Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and then-President Olusegun Obasanjo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). According to Kayode, the court upheld that presidential candidates must win at least 25% of all votes cast in 24 states and Abuja, as stipulated in Section 134(2)(b) of the constitution.
Kayode made this known in a video shared on YouTube by News Central TV, where he stated that there had been a precedent as regards the 25% votes cast in Abuja. He said, “The Supreme Court then did say that there is need after winning 25% in two-thirds of the states, you must also win 25% in Abuja. I wonder why some people are now saying Abuja can’t be seen as golden state.”
