Fresh Trouble For Tinubu As APC Stakeholders Ask Court To Stop Removal Of Temporary Running Mate

A fresh crisis has hit the camp of the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu as two chieftains of the party have approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop plans to replace Kabiru Masari as the running mate of the party for the 2023 presidential election.

Tinubu had chosen Masari as a temporary running mate, saying he was still consulting on who he finally settles for.

He is hoping to replace Masari, who’s from Katsina State, with a substantive presidential running mate as provided by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which expires mid-July.

While there have been contending arguments over the legality of the temporary placeholder, the two chieftains, who were delegates at the just concluded APC National Convention, Zakari Maigari and Zubainatu Mohammed, in their suit marked FHC/ABJ CS/1059/2022, dated July 4, 2022, are praying the court to rule that 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 to be substituted by the APC.

No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.