Politics

Tinubu, Peter Obi Can Only Substitute Running Mate If… INEC

Published

4 years ago

June 25, 2022

Mr Festus Okoye, National Commissioner, Voters Registration, Education and Publicity, Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr Festus Okoye, has said the submitted names of vice-presidential candidates cannot be retrieved or substituted by the political parties.

He noted that the nominated candidates themselves, who had accepted to be running mates to the presidential candidates, would stand for election come 2023, except they choose not to do so.

According to him, no one can force any of them to give up their seats for another candidate as the concept of ‘placeholders’ is alien to the electoral system.

The presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, had submitted the name of Ibrahim Kabiru Masari, as his running mate, stating that Masari would be replaced with a substantive candidate when a proper decision was reached before the window given by INEC closes.

This was the same for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, who chose his campaign Director-General, Dr Doyin Okupe, as his running mate for now.

Okupe, in an interview, said he was standing in for the substantive candidate who would be made known to the public in due time.

Reacting, Okoye, in an interview with Channels TV on Friday, said a vice presidential candidate could only be replaced if he died or chose to withdraw from the race.

“In the forms submitted by the political parties, relating to their presidential and vice-presidential candidates, what we have in those forms are the name of presidential and VP candidates; their particulars and their affidavits.

“None of those political parties indicated that they were submitting a document in lieu of or that they were submitting a name of a candidate in lieu. All the political candidates said they were submitting the list of their candidates and running mates. The issue of submitting a name in lieu of or as placeholders does not even arise.

“As far as the law and constitution is concerned, we have made it mandatory that the moment a presidential candidate emerges, such candidate must nominate an associate who shall run with him/her as a vice-presidential candidate. Both are seen as Siamese twins who will move and fall together. In the forms submitted by the political parties, forms related to the vice-presidential presidential were submitted.”

Related Topics:#INEC #Tinubu 2023 election Peter Obi

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Politics

Why We’re Impeaching Fubara — Rivers Assembly

Published

7 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

The Rivers State House of Assembly has given reasons for the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Major Jack, said the decision to impeach the governor and his deputy was based on their alleged persistent violation of the peace agreement brokered by President Bola Tinubu.

Jack made the allegation during plenary on Thursday while presenting the report detailing acts of misconduct against the governor.

According to him, Governor Fubara and his deputy had repeatedly disregarded the resolutions reached during reconciliation efforts aimed at restoring stability in the state.

He accused the two leaders of running the affairs of government without commitment to transparency and good governance.

“The governor and his deputy have continued to act in a manner that undermines democratic principles and accountability,” Jack said.

He further alleged that the peace deals facilitated by President Tinubu were breached on several occasions, including agreements reached during reconciliation meetings held in December 2023 and another in 2025.

Jack insisted that the continued failure of the governor and his deputy to honour the terms of the peace accord necessitated the impeachment process currently before the Assembly.

Politics

‘We’ll Do Everything To Stop It’ – APC Rejects Fubara’s Impeachment

Published

7 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

The All Progressives Congress, APC, Rivers State chapter, has vehemently rejected the move by the State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy.

The Assembly had earlier on Thursday commenced an impeachment process against Fubara over alleged misconduct.

The impeachment notice is expected to be issued to the governor and his deputy in the next seven days.

Reacting, the Rivers APC, in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, rejected the move.

“Our position as at today on this matter is that we solemnly reject the resort to an impeachment process against our governor and his deputy.

“It will be totally untenable for our party to keep quiet when an obvious hangover from strifes that occurred within the PDP are allowed to resurface in our great party,” Darlington said.

He added that the ruling party “will do everything possible to ensure that the Government of Rivers State, which is an APC government, is not destabilized”

Politics

Rivers Crisis: Bad People Won’t Prevail Over Us – Wike

Published

7 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, says God will not allow “bad people” prevail in Rivers State.

Wike made the statement on Thursday during his ‘thank-you-visit’ to the Bonny Island area of Rivers State.

“I appreciate you because you have shown me love and shown that you are people that can be trusted.

“I have told people that I don’t believe in generalizing, if for example somebody in Bonny disappoints you, you said Bonny people are bad, that’s very wrong.

“There are different kinds of people.There are places you have armed robbers, you have good people who stay there. So you can’t say because someone is bad so everyone there is bad. That’s not it.

“The good people are more in number than the few people who want to rub us black, but God, in His infinite mercy, will not allow evil to prevail over light,” he said.

Wike’s statement is coming after the Rivers State House of Assembly began impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.