PEPT: If FCT has equal status with other states why is it that only one senator represents it? -Ukeh

The recent decision of the presidential election petition tribunal in Abuja, which struck out all petitions brought by opposition parties against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has sparked various reactions.

Justice Haruna Tsammani led the five-member panel, which dismissed petitions filed by Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party while upholding Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory.

In response to this development, Onuoha Ukeh, a prominent Nigerian columnist at the Sun paper, expressed his views in an article. He argued that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) should not have the same status as other states in the federation.

He was of the opinion that, “If the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is granted the same status as other states in the federation, it raises the question: why does the FCT have only one senator representing it in the Senate, while other states have three each? Additionally, it becomes challenging to justify, especially when explaining to a child, the idea that the word ‘and’ is synonymous with ‘part of.’ Such an interpretation contradicts the principles of the English language.” This view was expressed in the Sun paper.

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