Court to determine validity of Tinubu’s ticket without Masari
The Federal High Court in Abuja has been asked to determine whether Bola Tinubu’s presidential ticket would still be valid if he replaces his running mate, Kabiru Masari with another candidate.
Tinubu had nominated Masari as a proxy to beat the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) deadline for nomination of a vice presidential candidate.
Two members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had filed the suit. They are Zakari Maigari and Zubainatu Mohammed.
In their suit marked FHC/ABJ CS/1059/2022, dated July 4, 2022, the plaintiffs want the court to declare that the presidential ticket becomes invalid in situation where Masari is replaced with another person.
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.
