The original inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Nigeria are preparing to take legal action to request that the federal government and the National Assembly grant them the right to elect their governor, Senators, House of Representatives members, and State House of Assembly representatives. This decision follows a recent judgment by the Presidential Petition Tribunal Court, which declared that Abuja holds no special status compared to other states.
Daniel Bwala, the former spokesman of Atiku Abubakar’s Presidential Campaign Organization, announced this move on his verified X account, formerly known as Twitter. He referenced the tribunal’s ruling, which placed Abuja on equal footing with other states, as the basis for this legal action.
In his tweet, Bwala stated: “Following the Presidential Election Petition Court’s judgment which states to the effect that Abuja is just like any other state; I am hearing that the natives of Abuja are approaching the court for an order mandating FGN [Federal Government of Nigeria] to let them produce their Governor and 3 Senators amongst other peculiarities of a state. What is good for Guinea is also good for Uganda.”
The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal had ruled that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) does not enjoy any special status compared to the other 36 states of the federation concerning the mandatory 25% vote requirement in the presidential election conducted on February 25. The tribunal emphasized that the FCT holds no superiority over any state in this regard.
The court’s ruling focused on the interpretation of Section 134(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended). This section mandates that, in a presidential election involving multiple candidates, the winning candidate must secure a majority of the total votes cast and obtain at least 25% of the vote in at least two-thirds of the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to be declared the duly elected President of Nigeria.
The decision by the original inhabitants of the FCT to seek the right to elect their officials underscores the significance of this ruling and its potential impact on governance and representation in the territory.
