Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has emphasized that all votes cast in Nigeria are equal, regardless of location, including Abuja. Falana commented on Section 134 of the 1999 Constitution, which is now a contentious issue following the 2023 presidential election.
According to Falana, the winner of a presidential election must score the majority of lawful votes and 2/3 majority of the states and the FCT.
“And since the FCT has been interpreted to be a 37th state in Nigeria for the constitution, I do not see any confusion at the material time, and that was when I expressed my opinion,” he stated.
However, due to the pending legal matter in court, Falana refrained from commenting on the issue definitively. He pointed out that court decisions on the status of Abuja already exist, and therefore it is a serious legal matter.
The interpretation of Section 134 sub-section 1(b) of the Constitution has been a concern since Bola Tinubu, who failed to secure 25% of the votes in the FCT, was declared the winner of the 2023 presidential election by the INEC. Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi filed petitions at the Presidential Election Tribunal challenging Tinubu’s pronouncement as the winner.
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