Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified that no political party or group had served the commission any court process against recognising the Presudential runningmates of the All Progressives Congress(APC) as well as Labour Party(LP).
But he offered a general explanation to the INEC laws, in relations with the process followed by the two parties, saying that none of them notified INEC that the candidates they submitted as VPs were placeholders.
His words: “I’m not aware that we have been served with any document on the suit with the complexion you’re talking about. But let me say this. One, if a matter is in court, we’re not supposed comment on it. But secondly, I had addressed this that when political parties submitted the names of their vice presidential candidates, there was no provision for a placeholder in the forms they submitted.
“They submitted the forms for the presidential candidates and the forms for their vice presidential candidates. And that is the situation.
“If you look at section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2022, it says a political party shall not be allowed to change or substitute these candidates whose names have been submitted under section 29 of the electoral act, except in the case of death or withdrawal by the candidate.
“This is the particular provision we’re following. In the case of senatorial candidates and the case of House of Representatives candidates and so on and so forth, it is mandatory for them to hold fresh primaries on the withdrawal of their candidates. But in the case of a presidential candidate or governorship candidates, the political party nominates a vice presidential candidate and deputy governorship candidate. Whether they’re candidates or not and whether they’re supposed to go in for a fresh 14-day primary, I’m not in a position to make a determination in relation to that.”
While Obi named Datti Baba-Ahmed as Okupe’s replacement, Tinubu named Kashim Shettima .