REMOVING ME FROM OFFICE CAUSE OF 25% FAILURE IN ABUJA MAY RESULT IN ANARGHY IN NIGERIAN; TINUBU WARNS TRIBUNAL

 ..Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, has cautioned the presidential elections tribunal about the potential consequences of his removal from office due to his failure to secure 25% of votes in Abuja. According to Tinubu's lawyers, led by Wole Olanipekun, such a removal would defy the legislative intent and could result in chaos and anarchy in the country. The lawyers referred to a section of the Nigerian Constitution that states a presidential candidate must obtain 25% of votes in two-thirds of the states, including Abuja.

There is ongoing public debate regarding the interpretation of this clause, as Tinubu won the highest number of votes in a three-way presidential race but fell short of meeting the 25% requirement in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Tinubu's legal team emphasized that courts have historically avoided extreme interpretations of the Constitution that could incite disorder.

Furthermore, the lawyers argued that even if Tinubu received no votes in Abuja and one other state, he would still emerge as the winner. However, this argument contrasts with the petitions filed by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.

Tinubu's legal team urged the court to reject the petitions and support Tinubu's position, asserting that an election cannot be nullified or canceled if the electorate exercises their right to vote, even if irregularities occur in one or more states, including the FCT.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) previously declared Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election held on February 25, with a total of 8,794,726 votes. Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, who filed separate petitions, alleged electoral irregularities and contested Tinubu's eligibility, citing his past legal issues in the United States. Tinubu's legal team, however, refuted these allegations, arguing that any payments made by Tinubu to US authorities were not in the form of fines and were unrelated to the Nigerian Constitution.

Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are expected to respond individually to the arguments presented by Tinubu's lawyers in the coming weeks. The tribunal, composed of justices from the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, will then review the arguments and deliver a verdict. Regardless of the tribunal's decision, it is likely that the case will be appealed to the Supreme Court, which will have 60 days to issue a final ruling.