The Conditions That Must Be Met Before Tinubu, Obi Can Replace Their Running Mate Placeholders

For the first time in the history of Nigeria, the word placeholder has crept into the political lexicon. It is a system adopted by either presidential or governorship candidate to field a temporary running mate to meet with INEC deadline.

It is also used by aspirants into different elective offices where someone else picks a ticket on their behalf to fill up as Candidate while the real aspirants pursue a bigger pie. 

But in a situation where they failed to get the bigger one, whoever stands as a placeholder will be asked to step down based on agreement.

This is the case of Senate president, Ahmed Lawan and Machina. The latter picked a senatorial ticket of APC in Yobe State while the Senate president pursued his presidential ambition.

Presently, APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Labour party candidate, Dr. Peter Obi have both submitted names of placeholders as their running mate so as to meet with INEC deadline of June 17.

According to Dr. Festus Okoye, INEC commissioner for information and voters education while appearing on National TV on Monday, the word is strange to INEC law and it is politicians that invented it.

However, if INEC regulation on the choice of running mate is anything to go by, these placeholders cannot therefore be replaced except these two conditions are fulfilled.

The first is that the placeholder must personally write a letter and duly sign it to notify the INEC that he is stepping down as a running mate to that particular candidate.

The letter must be convincing enough and explain reason the placeholder is stepping down from the nomination. It must not show that it was written under dueress.

The second condition is that the placeholder must personally take the letter to INEC office for submission. The letter cannot be sent through either DHL or any party member for submission. This is the only way INEC can duly certify another replacement.

Lastly, the placeholder must sworn to an affidavit duly signed and stamped by a court of competent jurisdiction. The affidavit must be personally submitted alongside the letter by the placeholder.

These are the conditions that must be met before a running mate placeholder can be replaced with a substantial candidate. 

If Placeholders submitted by Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi or any other presidential candidate do not follow this path, the INEC will have no choice than to confirm them as vice presidential candidates.