By Olusegun Olanrewaju
As Nigerians head to the polls next year to elect a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given the presidential candidates of the various political parties a July 15, 2022 deadline to confirm their running mates.
Buhari will be leaving office on May 29, 2023, after he must have served his two terms in office for eight years, leaving a frantic jostle for a successor between political party flag bearers, particularly the two leading candidates in ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, and opposition leader, Atiku Abubakar, among others.
And as the race hots up, the electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has given July 16 as the new deadline for all the presidential candidates of the parties to file in their running mates, which some of them have been finding difficult to do.
Early this month, most political parties held their presidential primaries. While some names have been submitted to the electoral commission, there are speculations that things may still change as some of the presidential aspirants have settled for ‘placeholders’, rather than substantive vice-presidential candidates to escort them to the polls in the 2023 general elections.
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The latest announcement is coming after the electoral body released the list of candidates of political parties for the 2023 general elections, which includes names of presidential candidates and their vice-presidential selections, as well as senatorial and House of Representatives candidates.
APC presidential candidate, Tinubu has picked what he has touted as a ‘placeholder’ running mate in Ibrahim Masari, the junior brother of Katsina State governor, Aminu Masari.
Atiku’s choice of co-contestant is the governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa.
Labour Party (LP)’s Peter Obi has picked his running mate in former presidential spokesman, Doyin Okupe. Osita Nnadi of the Action Peoples Party (APP) is running the presidential race with Isa Hamisu. Kolawole Abiola of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) is running alongside his running mate, Ribi Marshal. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP)’s choice of running mate is Johnson Oladipupo.
Yabagi Sani of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) pitched his running mate camp with Udo Okey-Okoro, while Abdulmalik Ado-Ibrahim’s choice in the Young Progressives Party (YPP) is Enyinna Kasarachi. African Action Congress (AAC)’s Omoyele Sowore, according to the INEC statement, is running with Garba Magashi; Mamman Dantalle (Allied Peoples Movement (APM)), Mrs Ojei Princess.
Chukwudi Umeadi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)’s running mate is Koli Mohammed; Oluwafemi Adenuga of the Boot Party (BP) is poised for a run alongside Turaku Mustapha; and Daberechukwu Nwanyanwu of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has his running mate in Ramalan Abubakar.
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African Democratic Congress (ADC)’s candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu’s running mate goes in Ahmed Mani, while Action Alliance (AA)’s Hamsa Almustafa, is to run with Chukwuka Johnson.
Meanwhile, APC’s Tinubu and LP’s Obi, while submitting their running mates, had claimed they might still change their co-runners for the presidential race after consultations with key stakeholders.
As it is, the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general elections released by INEC indicate that the political parties have less than 20 days to withdraw or replace their candidates and running mates for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
Nigeria’s presidential and National Assembly elections have been slated for February 25, 2023, while governorship and state assembly elections will be held on March 11, 2023.
Initially, February 18, 2023, was chosen for the presidential poll, but the date was amended after the signing of the amendments to the Electoral Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari.
