APC members ask court to stop Tinubu from replacing Masari as VP

Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have approached the Federal High Court, Abuja for an order to stop the replacement of Ibrahim Masari as vice presidential candidate of the party.

Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu submitted the name of Masari as “placeholder” vice presidential candidate to beat the deadline of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Zakari Maigari and Zubainatu Mohammed, delegates to the APC presidential convention in a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja are, however, asking that Masari should be maintained as running mate for the presidential election.

The APC, Tinubu and INEC were named as respondents in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1059/2022 and filed by Maigari and Mohammed.

They asked the court to determine if it is legal for Masari to be replaced as the vice-presidential candidate of the APC.

“Whether having regard to the combined effect of sections 142(1) and sections 29(1), 31, and 33 of the Electoral Act, it is legally permissible for the 4 Defendants, Masari, to withdraw as the vice-presidential candidate of the 1st Defendant, APC, and the running mate of the 3 Defendant, Bola Tinubu, so as to be substituted or replaced with another person by the 1st Defendant, APC as its candidate for the office of Vice President for purpose of the February 25, 2023, Presidential Election,” the suit reads.

“Whether in view of the joint ticket provision in section 142(1) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, 1999, the withdrawal of the 4th defendant, Masari, as the candidate for the office of vice-president does not entail the automatic withdrawal of the 3rd Defendant, Tinubu, as the candidate for the office of President for purpose of the 2023 general elections.”