Peter Obi to announce new running mate as Okupe withdraws

Doyin Okupe on Thursday announced his withdrawal as vice presidential candidate to Peter Obi of Labour Party.
“This afternoon I submitted my withdrawal letter from the position of the Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party to INEC,” Mr Okupe said via a tweet.
He added that the Labour Party will announce a replacement soon.
“A replacement will be announced by d national chairman of d party shortly.”
Labour Party had submitted Mr Okupe, a southern Christian like Mr Obi, as vice presidential candidate of the the party.
Mr Okupe later confirmed he was filling in to beat INEC deadline for the submission of a vice presidential candidate, assuaging fears of an unbalanced presidential ticket.
Mr Obi is expected to announce a northern Muslim as his running mate shortly, a practice that has often become a convention to balance ethno-religious sentiments that pervades the Nigerian polity.
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