The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reacted to the concept of a “placeholder” for vice-presidential candidates after the deadline for the submission of names ahead of the 2023 elections.
According to INEC’s Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, The concept of “placeholder” for vice-presidential candidates has no place in the constitution of the electoral body.
KEMI FILANI NEWS recalls that some parties submitted names of vice-presidential candidates whom they described as placeholders to beat the June 17 INEC deadline.
Speaking with ARISE TV on Monday, Okoye said the “placeholder is a unique Nigerian invention” for which the commission’s law has no provision.
Okoye said, “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, and 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.”