In a significant development, Justice Haruna Tsammani and the Tribunal made a pivotal ruling on Wednesday, emphasizing that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) should not be considered as having a special status, and its residents are not granted any superior privileges over citizens residing in other states. This ruling came as a response to the electoral dispute raised by Mr. Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who contested President Bola Tinubu's victory in the 2023 elections.
The core of the dispute centered on President Tinubu's failure to secure 25 percent of valid votes in the FCT, where he garnered 19 percent of the votes. However, the Tribunal firmly declared the petition as irrelevant, asserting that Abuja's residents are considered equal to residents of any other part of Nigeria. Consequently, the electoral triumph of Mr. Tinubu cannot be invalidated on the basis of not achieving the specified vote threshold in the FCT.
This ruling carries significant implications for the outcome of the electoral dispute and reaffirms the equality of all Nigerian citizens, regardless of their place of residence, in the electoral process