As stipulated by the Electoral Law and Guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress, Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his Labour Party opponent, Peter Obi on Wednesday returned their completed nomination forms to the commission alongside the names of their running mates.
While Tinubu named Kabir Masari, a Chieftain of the APC, Kastina State as his running mate, Peter Obi named Dr Doyin Okupe who was former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity as his running mate.
Although the parties are totally free to change the names of their running mates should they feel the need to, later on but before the general election. They however had to make a submission as INEC gave a deadline of 17th June, 2022 for the submission of the names of their running mates.
Tinubu’s spokesman, Tunde Rahman has also affirmed that the forms were returned on Wednesday 15th June,2022. In his words “We wish to reiterate that Asíwájú Tinubu now stands ready to contest the February 25, 2023 presidential election to deliver progressive good governance to our people.”
Alhaji Kabiru Faskari, also a chieftain of the APC, Katsina state, has confirmed the name of Kabir Masari as vice presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC. Faskari mentioned this on a Channels Television Programme in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital on Friday. According to him: “Ibrahim Kabir Masari is our vice presidential nominee and he was the National Welfare Secretary of the APC under Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. He is a well known politician.”
When asked if Masari’s name had been uploaded on INEC portal, he answered in the affirmative. “Yes, his name has been submitted.”
Faskari was further asked about the religious identity of their nominee, he said “Well, he qualifies as a veteran in terms of politics. He began as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP. He is young and represents the youth. He is grounded in politics because he was even a national officer of the APC.
He is quite close to the presidential candidate because he has been with him for a long time and I believe it is a very informed decision to put out his name.”
He also mentioned that the choice of nominee was was entirely that of the presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s idea, after consulting President Muhammadu Buhari, state governors and the national leadership of the party.
Faskari said although Masari may not have been entirely popular enough to be a state governor or cabinet minister, he is well known to them in the APC. In his words: “he is very known to us in the APC.”
It was also gathered that the INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye and the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi did not immediately respond to calls seeking confirmation of the nomination likewise the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Barr. Felix Morka.
Meanwhile the Labour Party submitted the name of the former Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr Doyin okupe as the party’s vice presidential candidate. Okupe disclosed this by himself in a programme on the Channels Television, “Politics Today”, where he mentioned that his name had been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by his party as the Vice Presidential candidate.
According to him, “I stand in as the vice presidential candidate of the party. Labour party has submitted my name as the VP of the party”.
Okupe said Labour Party will return Nigeria to its rightful owners by dethroning the ruling party, All Progressive Congress, APC. He also said that Nigerians have suffered too much in the hands of APC.
