No Presidential Candidate Indicated Placeholder When Submitting Nomination Forms

The Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) has given an replace on the controversial ‘placeholder’ system invented by political events.

Many events used “placeholder” vice-presidential candidates whereas submitting the names of their presidential candidates and working mates.

Reacting, INEC mentioned ‘placeholder’ “has no place in our constitutional and legal framework”.

Talking to Come up TV on Monday June 20, Festus Okoye, the commissioner for info and voter training of INEC mentioned the “placeholder is a unique Nigerian invention” for which the fee’s legislation has no provision.

Okoye nevertheless famous that the fee can solely exchange a candidate if the individual writes a “sworn affidavit stating that he is withdrawing from the race within the time frame provided by the law”.

He mentioned; 

“The structure makes it very clear that you just can’t run alone as a presidential candidate and should nominate an affiliate to run with you for that place, and so far as INEC is worried, the presidential candidates have submitted their associates to run with them within the presidential election.

“So far as we’re involved, there’s no kind submitted by the presidential candidate the place they mentioned ‘we’re submitting this individual’s title as a spot or area holder’.

“The problem of area or place holder is a singular Nigerian invention that has no place in our constitutional and authorized framework.

“Political events’ candidates have submitted names of associates to run with them, and that’s the place of the legislation as at right now and nothing has modified.

“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.”