25% votes in FCT mandatory to win —Mike Igini, ex-INEC REC

Mike Igini

Ex-Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom, Mike Igini, in a now-viral video was quoted saying Nigeria’s Constitution mandated a candidate to score 25 percent of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) before being declared winner in presidential poll.

Many Nigerians had interpreted the relevant section of the constitution, which has portrayed different meanings that a presidential candidate must win FCT.

This follows INEC’s declaration of Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate as the winner of the February 25 poll despite failing to secure 25% votes in the FCT.

But, in a video clip which Tribune online claims it obtained, the former INEC REC during an interview with Arise Television, a few hours to the February 25 presidential poll, said it is a “compulsory question” for a candidate to have 25% votes in the FCT before being declared President-elect.

His words:

“Provision of Section 134 (2b) of (Nigeria’s) Constitution states: “No presidential candidate can be declared a winner in this election without having 25% in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). That is very important for the world to know whenever (election results) may be finally declared.

“Apart from having 25% in 24 States (of the federation). The FCT is like a compulsory question without 25%, you go nowhere.”