The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and that of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, are yet to agree on who will drop and become a running mate. 

Naija News reports that the deadline for substituting candidates and running mates for the presidential and National Assembly candidates set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is drawing nearer.

This newspaper gathered that a joint panel set up by both political parties to work on the proposed alliance had submitted its report for consideration.

Speaking to The PUNCH, the running mate to Obi and director-general of his campaign organisation, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said Obi and Kwankwaso are yet to reach an agreement.

He, however, stated that the joint panel had concluded its sitting, and meetings are still ongoing to decide how the alliance would be.

Okupe said, “A committee was set up before now, and the committee has completed its work. There have been informal meetings and third-party stakeholders interventions, and we have had structured official meetings too.

“In all, we came to two agreements; one is that we are going to work together as political parties in order to achieve this change that we all desire. What we did not agree upon was who would be the president and who would be the vice-president. We didn’t agree on that. But we left it open.”

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He stated that both parties are working to agree on the issue before the deadline for political parties to submit the names of their final running mates.

Okupe said, “We are aware of the deadline, and we are working on it. When we adjourned our last meeting, we adjourned sine die. So, if there is a change, we will reconvene. But we are moving on. There is no problem. We have agreed to work together to create a platform for a national coalition, so that objective is still in place."

(Naija News)