Presidential Tribunal: 'Why We Did Not Announce Atiku As Winner', INEC Finally Opens Up
- INEC has revealed that Atiku Abubakar, the PDP candidate in the February 25 presidential election, did not meet up with the constitutional requirement to be declared the winner of the poll
- The electoral body maintained that the former vice president did not garner 25% of votes in at least 25 states as required by the existing law
- INEC also argued that it was not a must for a candidate to score 25% of votes at the FCT before he or she could emerge as the winner of the election
FCT, Abuja - The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 presidential election, did not meet up with the constitutional requirements.
The electoral umpire said this while urging the Presidential Election Petition Court to dismiss the petition filed by the PDP and Atiku, Channels Television reported.
Source: Twitter
INEC tells tribunal that Atiku did not win 2023 presidential election
According to INEC, Atiku did not score one-quarter of the votes in the 2-third of the 36 states of the federation and the federal capital territory and, therefore, cannot be declared the winner of the poll.
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Contrary to the petitioner's claim, INEC maintained that the poll was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 and no corrupt practices were recorded during the election.
It further stated that Bola Tinubu, the president-elect, duly won the election.
In the February 25 presidential election, All Progressives Congress (APC)'s Bola Tinubu garnered 8,794,726 votes to defeat Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the PDP and Labour Party to emerge as the winner.
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Tinubu and Atiku won the poll in 12 states, while Obi won in 11 states and the FCT.
Both Atiku and Obi are in court challenging the outcome of the election.
But INEC stated that the APC and Tinubu met all the constitutional requirements to be declared the winner of the poll.
The electoral body also argued that it was not a must for a candidate to garner 25% of votes in the FCT before he or she would be declared the winner.
"People of Kogi State would not worship any foreign God": Dino Melaye tells Wike
Legit.ng earlier reported that the rift between Atiku Abubakar and Nyesom Wike's camp in the PDP had been taken to another level soon after the presidential election.
This is as Dino Melaye, the governorship aspirant of the PDP in Kogi state, attacked Governor Wike for thinking with an unsound mind.
Melaye said this while reacting to an earlier comment by the governor on his gubernatorial ambition in Kogi state.
Source: Legit.ng
