Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the 2023 presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that he has submitted Kabiru Masari as his running mate and not a placeholder to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ahead of the 2023 election.

There have been speculations that Tinubu submitted Kabiru Masari’s name as a placeholder who would be substituted later, in a bid to beat the June 17, 2022 deadline given by INEC.

Giving clarity on Monday while featuring on Arise TV, Festus Okoye, Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, INEC, said “placeholder’ was invented by Nigerians adding that the constitution makes no provision for it.

“The constitution makes it very clear that you cannot run alone as a presidential candidate and must nominate an associate to run with you for that position. As far as INEC is concerned, the presidential candidates have submitted their associates to run with them in the presidential election.

“As far as we are concerned, there’s no form submitted by the presidential candidate where they said ‘we’re submitting this person’s name as a place or space holder.’

“The issue of space or place holder is a unique Nigerian invention that has no place in our constitutional and legal framework.

“Political parties’ candidates have submitted names of associates to run with them, and that is the position of the law as at today and nothing has changed. For there to be a substitution of a candidate, the vice-presidential candidate must write to INEC, with a sworn affidavit stating that he is withdrawing from the race within the time frame provided by the law. That’s the only way there can be a substitution of candidates” Okoye had said.

On his own part, Tinubu through his media aide, Tunde Rahman said;

“Asíwájú Tinubu  has duly completed his nomination forms, including giving the particulars of his running mate. He has returned the completed nomination forms to INEC. He even returned the forms two days ahead of schedule.

“I don’t know about a placeholder. This is the coinage of the media. I know he has picked a running mate.”

“I must add, however, that there are ongoing consultations involving President Buhari, the party’s governors and the APC leadership with Asíwájú Tinubu and his running mate. If following these consultations, the running mate decides for instance that he wants to stand down in the interest of the party and the country, I think it’s only fair and appropriate to allow him deal with that as long as it is done within the spheres of the electoral law and the time frame for that given by INEC.

“I think it’s within the prerogative of the running mate to take his own decision and to say for instance that he would like to stand down because he feels doing so will serve the candidate and the party better than he remaining on the ticket. And that this is done in line with the provision of the law and INEC guidelines and timetable. This is the way it is” Rahman told Tribune.