Labour Party has submitted Doyin Okupe’s name as the running mate of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Friday.
Candidreporters.com recalls that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had last week asked all political parties to submit the names of their presidential candidates alongside those of their running mates before 6pm today.
INEC had warned that failure to comply would render the presidential nominations of the parties invalid.
Candidreporters.com learnt submission of Okupe’s name to INEC maybe an interim measure to beat the deadline pending when the party reached a decision on who to pair with Obi.
Dr Doyin Okupe gave the explanation during Channels Television show, Politics Today.
If his candidacy holds, he will run alongside Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential elections.
However, Dr Okupe might be a placeholder to beat INEC’s deadline for the submission of the name of a vice presidential candidate.
The deadline ends today.
“Choosing the vice presidential candidate is an electoral process and it does not stop until the process and schedule ends,” Dr Okupe said. “INEC allows you to present a candidate and later on, if you want to substitute, you may do so, if necessary. But if it’s not necessary, you may as well continue.”
The new Electoral Act provides that parties could substitute candidates for an election in the event of death or withdrawal of such candidates from the race.
Section 33 of the Electoral Act 2022 reads: “A political party shall not be allowed to change or substitute its candidate whose name has been submitted under section 29 of this Act, except in the case of death or withdrawal by the candidate:
“Provided that in the case of such withdrawal or death of a candidate, the political party affected shall, within 14 days of the occurrence of the event, hold a fresh primary election to produce and submit a fresh candidate to the Commission for the election concerned.”
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