Kabiru Masari, the placeholder APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu submitted to INEC as his running mate is up to something.
No fewer than two chieftains of the party are in a federal high court in Abuja court on his behalf now—praying for an order to stop Tinubu and the APC from replacing Masari.
Zakari Maigari and Zubainatu Mohammed, in their suit marked FHC/ABJ CS/1059/2022, dated July 4, 2022, want the court to hold that the withdrawal of Masari would amount to the invalidation of the joint ticket of the party.
They are contending whether, by the combined effect of sections 142(1); 29(1), 31 and 33 of the Electoral Act, it is legally permissible for Masari to withdraw as the vice-presidential candidate of the APC and the running mate of Tinubu so as to be substituted or replaced with another person by the APC.
No date has been fixed for the hearing.
INEC has insisted substitution of candidate is not provided for in the electoral act, but withdrawal by the candidate is accepted.