Presidential aspirant, Bola Tinubu has denied claims that he chose Kabiru Masari, a former National Welfare Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as a placeholder.
However, while maintaining that Masari was duly nominated to be his Vice, Tinubu explained that the latter could choose to step down within the stipulated time, and he would not have breached any known laws, rules, or regulations by doing so.
Tinubu made this clarification as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fired warning shots at politicians, saying their new invention – the use of placeholder – to sidestep its deadline was not only unknown to law but alien to democratic practice.
According to INEC’s National Commissioner of Information and Chairman, Voter Education, Festus Okoye, there was nothing like forms for Placeholders, adding that as far as the commission is concerned, the parties fielding candidates for next year’s presidential election, have submitted the names of their running mates as at the Sunday, July 17, 2022, deadline as contained in the schedule of activities.
Responding to comments by Okoye, Tinubu’s Media Aide, Tunde Rahman, maintained that Masari was his principal’s choice of vice-presidential candidate for the 2023 general election and the situation remained so, despite ongoing consultations.
He said: “Without taking issues with the INEC National Commissioner, I just like to state the situation as it relates to the presidential candidate of the APC, Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“And it is that 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.”