INEC Gives Clarity On Controversy Trailing Placeholders, Running Mates | READ DETAILS
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said that the Nigeria’s constitution makes provisions for running mates and not placeholders for any election.
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 said.
Recall that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Labour Party submitted the name of his campaign DG, Dr. Doyin Okupe as a placeholder pending when consultations will be completed to get a substitute.
The All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was said to have submitted Kabiru Masari as a placeholder all in a bid to beat the June 17 deadline for submission of names given by INEC.
Tinubu’s media aide, Tunde Rahman has come out to say that Masari is the running mate of his principal and not a placeholder. READ HERE
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