Former Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, directors and Senior Advocates of Nigeria have warned that political parties may face crises over their nomination of placeholders as running mates to their respective candidates ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

The ex-officials of the electoral umpire cautioned that parties and their
candidates might lose their presidential bids, should the placeholder
refuse to withdraw for the substantive vice-presidential candidates.

Another issue raised by the ex-INEC officials was that the parties and
their candidates might forfeit their tickets should a proxy running mate,
who was not qualified to be vice-president, refuse to withdraw from the
race.

Ahead of the deadline set by INEC, several political parties had
by 6.pm on Friday submitted names of interim running mates to their
respective presidential candidates.

Among them is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives
Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who picked Kabiru Masari, as his ad
hoc running mate. The Labour Party submitted the name of the Director-
General of Peter Obi Campaign Organisation, Dr Doyin Okupe, as the
interim vice-presidential candidate of the party.

All political parties have 30 days to withdraw the names of such running
mates and substitute them with substantives ones.

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