Nigerian Presidential candidates of political parties have the power to appoint and withdraw their running mates before the July 15 deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Answering questions during the morning show of Arise TV, the Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, the presidential candidates have power to change their running mates because they did not emerge from primary process.
This is as the presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and that of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, were said to have nominated their running mates as placeholders, while searching for substantive running mates before the INEC deadline.
On whether the current presidential candidates can still change their running mates, Igini said ”Yes, because a running mate does not emerge from a primary process. It is at the discretion of the presidential candidate, and the constitution is clear on that.
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Speaking further, he said the law of the Federation Chapter 123 section 11 says, “A person who has the power to appoint also has the power to withdraw. Once you have the power to appoint, inherent in that power is the power to withdraw within the INEC framework because by on the 15th of July all issues about withdrawal will have to be concluded with.”
On the argument about placeholders, the Commissioner described the argument about placeholders as a needless debate.
”What the electoral body is concerned about is that presidential candidates submit names of their running mates as required by the law. If after submission, they now see the choice of their running mates as placeholders, then that is completely a different thing.
”In the United States of America, there is a practice of place holding system where a Governor of a state in respective to a senatorial position could appoint a placeholder pending when elections is conducted.’’
